History concepts and contexts

¶ … Generation by Tom Brokaw

Bibliographic Information

The Greatest Generation. Tom Brokaw. New York: Random House, 1998. 412 pages.

Author's Thesis

The author argues that the generation of Americans who fought World War II, maintained society at home during World War II, overcame the Great Depression and rebuilt the nation of America after the war are the "greatest generation any society has ever produced." The author argues that this generation is often undervalued for their contributions, when they did in fact, give us the lives we live today and create an American society with more to offer than any in the past.

Evidence to Support Thesis.

The book is designed to pay tribute to and make people aware of just what this generation of men and women did for America and how they contributed to the society we have today. The author describes how these men and women battled through World War II, including the battle of war and the battle at home to keep the country functioning. These men and women then returned home and fought to rebuild the nation, uniting in their efforts and never expecting recognition for their efforts. The author describes how the actions of these men and women resulted in the rebuilding of America, giving current society the benefits it enjoys today.

The author makes these points by presenting the personal accounts of a variety of people involved in World War II and the Great Depression. These accounts are primarily of well-known individuals and individuals who became leaders or made great achievements, though there are also some accounts of ordinary people. In all cases, the stories told represents some achievement, whether it be becoming the first woman to find a career other than homemaking, the brave and heroic action of a soldier, or the actions of an individual in contributing to rebuilding society.

The story of Charles Van Gorder, who set up a medical facility in the war and then created a hospital in his hometown in America, is one that shows what people did in the war, as well as after the war. An example of someone who became a leader is George Bush who talks about his time as a pilot in the war and how it impacted on his career. The stories of women are also told, such as Trudy Elion, who found a career in medicine because of the war and later went on to win the Nobel Prize in medicine.

These stories combine ones that show the battles fought in the war itself and those fought at home, both before and after the war. The author presents these stories as a "cross-section" of the actions and achievements of all Americans in the time of World War II and the Great Depression. By this cross-section of stories, the author attempts to show how this generation fought for and won the freedom we have today, and built the foundations for the society we have today.

IV. Personal Reaction

While the author does show how this generation impacted on current society, and does describe the battles some individuals fought, it cannot be said that he proved his thesis. There are several reasons for this.

The nature of the book in the form of personal accounts is one reason the book can be questioned for its accuracy. While the book does use many accounts, the question must be asked, how many accounts did the author have to select from. With his purpose being to show what Americans of this generation did, it is natural that he is going to choose the stories of either those that became famous in some way or those that have heroic stories to tell. While the book proposes to be a cross-section of stories, this cross-section does not really represent the generation as a whole, instead it represents those that did the most. The book does not contain the stories of those that did nothing during the war or the Great Depression, or those that tried and failed.

Putting this issue in perspective, it can be seen that a book based on these techniques can never really offer a clear view of the benefits of an entire generation. If an author selected another generation and described the people of that generation who had made contributions, any generation could be viewed as crucial. Society is based on achieving and developing and in any generation, there are people responsible for the developments. Telling the stories of those that contributed is not reason to say that an entire generation has been represented.

The author also argues that the generation gave us the society we have today. This, however, is true of any past society. This is the very nature of history, that one generation depends on the last. Saying that because of this generation, we have what we have now, is a meaningless statement, since every past event leads to the present. To consider this, the question could be asked 'what if that generation had of done more?' Perhaps if the generation had of done more, current society would be better than it is today. This thinking shows the error in the author's perspective.

While there are problems in proving the thesis, the author is still effective in showing the qualities of the individuals described and what they achieved. Part of the purpose is achieved, with the reader becoming aware that this generation of individuals did do a lot to rebuild society. The book also effectively shows the struggles of the generation and with a comparison to modern society, the reader becomes aware of how much things have changed, and perhaps, how much they take for granted.

The book is also quite inspirational, with these ordinary individuals fighting against the odds, showing what one person is capable of achieving. While many of the people described in the book are now well-known, at the time they were not. It is only because of their efforts and actions that they became well-known. This offers an inspirational message that anyone is capable of contributing and helping a nation rise out of difficult times.

The first-person accounts are also an effective way of bringing to life the reality of the situation to a modern generation. The first-person accounts allow for many different perspectives to be offered and for this to paint an overall picture of what life was like at the time. The first-person narration and the stories of well-known individuals also creates interest in the book.

Overall, while the author does not prove the thesis, this is more a fault in the thesis they set for the book, than a comment on the effectiveness of the book. The book is effective in offering people an insight into the struggles of the people during World War II and the Great Depression and showing some of the major contributions of the generation that rebuilt America after the war. The book is also effective in recording personal stories of success, heroism and perseverance - stories that can be inspirational to a new generation. Finally, the first-person accounts creates interest in the stories, helping a new generation find enough interest in the stories to keep reading and learn about this generation and their impact.