Studs Terkel's Hard Times

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“Hard Times” Studs Terkel wrote the book, “Hard Times”, to get the American people of what it was like from every situation during the great depression. Terkel called in a memory book in by doing so it just didn’t have historical statistic proof but it showed emotion in each interviewee. It was where some of his colleagues’ shared hurtful memories while other expressed exhilaration, sometimes both. Terkel shared some of his experiences as well. He could not remember the black day of October but he does manage to have blur images he can put together of that horrific day. Terkel slowly noticed less and less people coming in and out Hitherto. “That there are some who were untouched, or indeed, did rather well isn’t exactly news” – Terkel(pg. 84). No matter rich or poor, black or white. The Great Depression had some effect on you. Studs Terkel selected a wide range of interviewees from the poor black folk that lived in “Hoovervilles” to the Americans who had little effect from the Great Depression. Why did he do this? I believe in this reasoning so Terkel could get everyone’s experience and opinion over the depression from top to bottom. Terkel interviewed hundreds of people across the United States for his book on the Great Depression of the 1930s. Terkel asked questions about their employment problems and what they experienced during the crash of the stock market and how quickly it affected them. He asked how they managed themselves personally and financially. Also, their opinions on Franklin, Eleanor Roosevelt and…show more content…
I feel like it makes a better understanding on history instead of reading threw textbook pages and more textbook pages. Oral history helps to get the point across more. It helps you understand on what it was like back during those horrific times. After reading “Hard Times” by Studs Terkel, I feel like I have a more of an understanding than threw what I learned back in High School by reading threw
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