56 pages • 1 hour read
Studs Terkel“The Good War”: An Oral History of World War II
Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 1984A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.
Book 4, Section 6
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
“Nancy Arnot Harjan” Summary
A teenager at the time of World War II, Nancy recalls how her family employed a Japanese American woman named Mae who was sent to an internment camp. Still, she and her family celebrated the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, although she later questioned the decision. Overall, Nancy suggests that World War II was a more innocent and less skeptical time for the American public.
“Paul Edwards” Summary
Paul Edwards worked for the Red Cross during World War II. After the war, he remained in Europe, working with refugees and observing the growing tensions of the Cold War, such as the communist revolt in Greece. Paul remarks that the Cold War has eroded the unity that World War II engendered, particularly because the war’s prosperity gave rise to a middle class with less compassion for the poor.
Book 4, Section 6 Analysis
Combining the perspectives of a woman who lived on the home front and a man who worked on the international stage during and immediately after World War II, this brief chapter reinforces a number of themes that have been building throughout the book. Specifically, these interviews emphasize how Americans trust the government more during World War II and contrast that with the political tension and cultural disunity that grew during the Cold War.
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By Studs Terkel
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