Terkel #8

The introduction of this chapter is about how many people work just to get by, even though they hate their jobs. Many people who hate their jobs are unhappy, and bring other people down with them, such as their friends and family. A big reason why people hated their jobs was because they knew they were too good for them, and they did not feel appriciated. Jobs that were considered to be bad were waitressing, truck driving, steel working, banking, etc. Jobs that were considered to be good were bookbinders, firemen, piano tuners, etc. These jobs were considered to be good because they had meaning and workers could benefit from those jobs. For example, a firmen saves lives, which is a huge accomplishment. People who obtain unfavorable jobs feel like they are failures, and they are not important because their work is not appreciated. "'I'm a machine,' says the spot-welder. 'I'm caged,' says the bankteller...'A monkey could do what I do,' says the receptionist. 'I'm less than a farm implement,' says the migrant woker." (302) This shows that these workers are unhappy because they have failed to find a job that is important to them, and it hurts them to know that they are dumbing themselves down to work these jobs.

Dolores Dante is an example of someone who enjoyed her job, unlike many other people working during her time era. She was a waitress for over twenty years because she needed money quickly, and it was the first job she could find that would allow her to work while taking care of her baby. Dolores had to take care of her baby alone because her husband left her. Although Dolores may not have been working a favorable job according to many people, she found joy working as a waitress because she loved interacting with people, even though she dealt with many disrespectful people. Dolores did not work so hard as a waitress because she wanted to make more money from customers, she did it because she believed in being a professional.  Dolores was always optimistic, and she showed respect for people who worked in a professional matter like herself. "I tell everyone I'm a waitress and I'm proud. If a nurse gives me service, I say, 'You're a professional.' Whatever you do, be professional. I always compliment people." (334) Dolores praises people who serve others, and do their job right because many people who do not like their job show it by working in an unprofessional matter and by treating their customers with disrespect. Dolores Dante relates to Herbert Hoover because they both always stayed optimistic, and looked for the best in every situation. She also relates to President Barack Obama because he has continued to stay optimistic while working to get through the challenges being faces in America.

Phil Stallings is an example of someone who did not enjoy his job. Phil Stallings was a spot welder on the South Side of Chicago, and he did not like his job because he was not treated with respect, he was never appreciated, and the working condition was poor. Phil felt as if he was treated with disrespect because often he was not allowed to even go to the bathroom, and his work was never appreciated. The working condition of Phil's job was clearly very poor because he got a cut from a screw and ended up getting blood poisoning. Phil went to the medics at his work, but there were only a few nurses there who did hardly anything to help. In the past, the medics told Phil he was okay and that he should go back to work, only to find out from a real doctor that he was extremely sick and he could not work for two weeks. Nobody cared about the spot welders, all they cared about was their job getting done. Phil works in a very dangerous atmosphere where it is very easy to get hurt. Although Phil hates his job, he refuses to leave because he is paid well. "I know I could find better places to work. But where could I get the money I'm making? Let's face it, $4.32 and hour. That's real good money now." (358) Even though Phil has been through so much, and has become so miserable working as a spot welder, he decided not to quit only because he made more money than he would at a job that he loved. Phil Stalling's story relates to fostering efficiency during the Progressive Movement. Fostering efficiency was led by progressive leaders who put faith in experts and scientific principles to make societies and work placed more efficient. Phil Stallings would have greatly benefited from the Progressive Movement because his working conditions would have improved. Phil's story also relates to the workers rights that everyone must receive today. Everyone today must be granted with good working conditions, unlike the conditions that Phil Stallings worked in.

Open Response # 3

         Martin Luther King Jr. is a legendary figure in American History. He was extremely influential to the people in America, and convinced many people to accept African Americans in order to make the United States the best nation it could be. Martin Luther King Jr. projected his loyalty to recieving equality by risking his life and speaking out to the nation. He and many other protestors fought for equality, and even when they were denied, they never gave up. King and the other protestors marched and protested from day one until they finally recieved their equality and American citizenship. Laws were made to prohibit segregation, and many whites gave up their racial views after the campaigns by Martin Luther King Jr. and other protestors. Martin Luther King is a legendary figure from U.S History because he never stopped fighting for what he believed in, and he greatly impacted Americans' views on equality. if Martin Luther King had not protested and given famous speeches, America may still be segregated today, and that would be very unfavorable because there would be violence, and tension between American citizens.

Open Response #2

        A very important event in American history was when Lincoln made the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Indepenence stated that America would be an independent nation, and no longer part of Great Britain. America wanted to break away from Great Britian so that our nation could have its own government that would give equality to all citizens.The overall goal of the Declaration of Independence was to give the nation and its citizens freedom. This was a very imporant event in American history because if our nation had not become independent, America would not be the desirable place it is today: a free country. This event also illustrates how powerful the United States Congress is because they were able to achieve independence, which was not an easy task.

Open Response #1

          One topic that we learned about in class that really intrigued me was the New Deal. I think the New Deal really symbolized how the Congress and President Theordore Roosevelt really cared about American citziens when they were facing many problems during the Great Depression. The New Deal contained of many different programs based on Recovery, Relief, and Reform. Recovery programs were meant to save the economy, Relief programs were meant to help citizens who lost their jobs, homes, money, etc., and Reform programs were meant to protect the financial system to prevent another depression in the future. These programs were mainly meant to help the American citizens personally, and by saving the nation they live in. Some specific programs that were created by the New Deal were the Works Progress Administration, which provided many jobs for people in need, the Federal Housing Administration, which gave money to people fir food and clothes, and the Public Works Administration, which provided money to states for construction of schools and community buildings. These specific programs were all passed by Congress during the Great Depression, which shows their loyalty to the people of their nation, and how they care about providing a nice place for them to live. I think the New Deal was a very important part of American History because it shows that the government took the initiative to save the nation, which is very reassuring to Americans.

Studs Terkel # 5

        Peggy Terry, a non-combat worker during World War II, did not know much about the war, except that she hated the idea of it, and that her husband was a soldier. All she knew was that the Germans needed to be stopped. After moving around trying to find jobs, Peggy found a job that required her and other women to make shells for the war. At the beginning of her working experience, she was not aware that she was making shells for the war, but after a while she realized she was. Although it was a priveledge that women were able to work in non-combat positions, it was not as great as it seemed because they were not given workers rights, and they were not respected. Peggy was against war because she did not like violence, but she had to keep her job because she needed to make money. Once her husband came back from war, she realized that she did not hate war only because of the violence, but also because it changed the soldiers into different people. Her husband came back an alcoholic, and a completely different man. "It seems so obvious to say- wars brutalized people. It brutalized him." (194) Peggy explained in her story that the war changed her husband, and all other soldiers in a horrible way because of what they were exposed to. This story relates to the Women's Auxilary Army Corps because Peggy Terry would not have been able to get her job building shells if that bill had not been passed. This story also relates to soldiers who are coming home from Afgahnastan today because they have been brutalized, just like Peggy Terry's husband.

       E.B. (Sledgehammer) Sledge was a young, sensitive and caring soldier who had a different view on World War II than most other frontmen because he did not fight in the biggest battles, or risk his life as much as they did. Because he and his group were so young, they did not take the war so seriously, and they just wanted to get it over with. Sledge claimed that the only reason he and the other young soldiers fought in the war was because they did not want to let each other down. But as the war proceeded, it seemed as if Sledge started to understand what the objective of the war was, and how serious it was after seeing so many dead people, and worn out soldiers. Sledge came to realize that war was about killing the enemies before they killed you, so that it could end faster. Even though Sledge felt bad seeing people being killed, even if they were enemies, he knew that he had to suck it up. Sledge came across a Japanese man who was suffering, and he called a nurse to help him, only to realize that the Japanese man was playing a prank and he set fire. Sledge knew that he was being too nice, and that there was no point because Japanese soldeirs were evil, and they did absolutely anything to not surrender. "I have heard many guys who fought in Europe who said the Germans were damn good soldiers...When they surrendered, they were guys just like us. With the Japanese, it was not that way." (199) During Sledge's time in war, he realized that the only way to stop the Japanese army was through violence in war. The Japanese army proved that they would do anything not to surrender when they used suicide planes called kamikazes, which showed they were willing to kill themselves in order to not surrender. Sledge's story can relate to the soldiers who are fighting in Afghanistan today.

Studs Terkel # 7

     First, I read an introduction about a man who was curious to see all the different kinds of people around Chicago, and to write a book about how and why their lives differ from one another. He went around Chicago looking for people who were rich, poor, of different races and religiois, and to see the urban phenomenas with his own two eyes. He met people at random places around Chicago, asking them questions about their jobs and if they do or do not like them. What he learned from doing this is that people who live completely different lives because of their jobs, income, etc., are completely divided, and do not associate with each other. "Although there is a division street in Chicago, the title of this book was metaphorical." (225) What he learned is that people in Chicago are completely divided because nobody will associate themselves with people who differ from them. This relates to the segregation that occurred during the Civil Rights Movement because the people that this writer wrote a book about segregated themselves from people who were different from them. This story also relates to separation that occurs today. For example, the north shore contains of people who make a better income than the people who may live on the South side of Chicago.

     Florence Kelly was a was a woman who grew up in Chicago. She loved it there becuase of the city, but she also hated it because nobody respected each other. When Kelley was young, she moved to a neighborhood called the Hull House. The Hull House was a very diverse neighborhood where gangsters and hoodlums lived. Kelley enjoyed living in that neighborhood because it gave her insight on what the real world was like. Kelley learned that the people she thought were "nice" before moving into the Hull House were actually fake, and the people who lived in the Hull House were real. Many people did not like the gangsters and hoodlums because they were a threat, and people secretly knew they could succeed. Kelley was very inspired by her experience living in the Hull House and she decided to share it with the world by making a proposition: to speak out and convince people that the Hull House was a great place to live and it could be saved. Kelley did everything in her power to make people have the desire to live in the Hull House, but after some time, she recieved notice that the Mayor decided to use the space the was currently used for the Hull House to be used as a place to put a college campus. As much as Kelley wanted to protest, board members of the Hull House convinced her not to. One day, Kelley went to a meeting with a board member, and was influenced to believe that she did everything she could to help the Hull House, but there was nothing else she could do."The first time I went, I thought this was a friend through whom we could work. But I could see, you know, that she allowed me to be just so friendly, and there was a place beyond which I couldn't go. There was a difference now. I stayed in my place, but I said what I wanted to say...I was glad to experience it that way."(232) Kelley proved that she was a very strong woman because she did everything in her power to make the Hull House succeed, but she became aware that there was nothing else she could do besides share her thoughts. She also knew that protesting would lead to conflict, which would get her nowhere. Florence Kelley's story relates to Theordore Roosevelt's thought on conservation, to use areas in wilderess to be developed for common good. The mayor who decided to place the University in the area where the Hull House was relates to this concept. Florence Kelley also relates to the speakers of the Invisible Children program because the speakers try to convince people to help the children living in Uganda, but they do not protest against people who do not try to help. Like the Invisible Children speakers, Florence Kelley also made the decision not to protest against the people who did not agree with her views on the Hull House.

       The last person I read about, Lucy Jefferson, was an African American women who was very passionate about reading. Lucy grew up in a very low rise project, called the Robert Brooks Housing Projects near the west side. She was a very tough woman who intimidated many people because she proved wrong the stereotype that blacks were unintelligent and could not succeed in life. She strongly believed that negro women could do anything they want as long as they had nerve, just like she did. Lucy Jefferson had children of her own, and she became very aggravated due to the facts that her children were not learning anything in school because the teachers did not care to educate the children, and there were no books in the schools. Lucy believed that the things that people thought were important when getting an education, like getting a diploma were not as important as actually learning. "If I woke up in a house that didn't have a book in, I'd just burn it down, it wouldn't be any good. To me, they're my life blood. Types of caps, gowns, all that crap, it don't mean nothing." (252) Lucy Jefferson was able to see the importance of education that many others did not see. Lucy Jefferson relates to Rosa Parks because she let everyone around her know that she was going to do whatever she wanted to do, even though she was black. Rosa Parks also proved that she was going to do whatever she wanted when she refused to sit in the back of a bus. Lucy's story also relates to the education that many people receive in this day and age because the quality of education today has greatly increased since her era.

Studs Terkel #4

        The first story I read was about World War II, and how many people do not understand how big of an impact it made on America. After the war, many individuals' lives were changed drastically because there were limited amounts of job offers, job losses, loss of money, and people who were benefitting from the New Deal suffered because it was stopped, and the focus of America was changed to winning the war rather than helping people in need. Not only were individuals' lives changed, but America was changed as a whole. After the war, Americans started to expect more, and to live better lives because America became the most powerful industrial and military power in the world after winning a great war. World War II also influenced many Americans to believe that going to war was a good thing because of how great the outcome of  World War II was. Many people today do not understand that America is the way it is today because of World War II, and it is very upsetting to people who risked their lives while fighting for their nation. "It appears that the disremembrance of World War II is as disturbingly profound as the forgettery of the Great Depression: World War II, an event that changed the psyche as well as the face of the U.S. and of the world." (161) Although many soldiers fought in a war and risked their lives, they are not regretful at all for doing so because they had experiences that they have never had before, and they felt like good people because they were protecting their nation. This article relates to rationing, which was when people had to cut back on many things, such as food, and drinks because the soldiers needed more of those things in order to win the war. People had to change their way of living and give up many of their things to help the soldiers win the war. This story also connects to the tragedy of 9/11 because America was greatly impacted by it, and many changes were made. After 9/11 occurred, Americans' lives have been affected because people have lost many of their loved ones. This tragedy connects to World War II because America was changed after the war, and many people lost their loved ones.
       The second story I read was written by a Robert Rasmus, a rifleman during war. He talks about his experience during the war, and how it has changed him as a person. Robert trained with his group, but had to be switched to another one because he got sick. His original group ended up fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, and many were killed. Robert grew up in an isolated household, so going to war and seeing people being killed right in front of him was not something he could easily adjust to. He and his new group were sent to Germany, and at first it seemed as if he forgot the reason why he was there because he was so intrigued by the architecture. The members of Robert's group were all very young, and they fought very mild battles while other soldiers participated in the more dangerous ones. Although Robert and his group had easier duties than many other groups, they all witnessed what war was really like and it changed them as people.
"World War Two was utterly different. It has affected me in many ways ever since. I think my judgement of people is more circumspect...In a shore period of time, I had the most tremendous experiences of all of life: of fear, orf jubilance, of misery, of hope, of comradeship, and of the endless excitement, the theatrics of it. I honestly feel grateful for having been a witness to an event as monumental as anything in history, and in a very small way, a participant." (189) Although Robert did not play a huge role in the war, he was still happy to witness it because it made him a better person after going out of his comfort zone. This story relates to the Selective Service Act, an act that drafted men to be soldiers in the army, and Rasmus was selected to fight in the war. Robert Rasmus's story also relates to the soldiers who are coming back from Afghanistan because they have become different people after what they saw during the war, just like Robert Rasmus did when he came back from World War II.