Mar 05, 2006 19:56
Erica Dixon
Studs Terkel's Hard Times paints a vivid picture of the great depression. The memories recounted are full of real people places and events. Terkel uses his interviews of all types of people who suffered through the depression together to create a strong depiction of the depression in it’s truest light. Through his own accounts and others Terkel brings the time to life before the readers eyes.
There is an omnipresent theme in Stud's Terkel's Hard Times, one that can be found effortlessly on any page of this work. When weighed, all of the information Terkel chose to include it becomes clear that Terkel aims for nothing more in retelling this story then to portray the “Hard Times” of the depression. Hard Times, The Depression, and all that surrounds the two are the constant theme of the book. Though the theme is obvious from the first page, it is not until the chapter title "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" that Terkel sheds some light on why he chose this theme. In this chapter, it becomes apparent that Terkel aims to convey the "Hard Times" because there is a younger generation unaware of them who need to be informed. All Terkel wanted to accomplish with this book was simply to educate those not affected by the depression and combat the remarks of those like Michael, 19 "A depression to me is when I can't sit down on my chaise lounge and have a beer and the boob tube right in my face."(pg 40)
Terkel uses literary devices and his style of writing to convey his theme. The people of the depression come alive through colloquialisms such as "I remember several families had to leave in a covered wagon. To Californy I guess". Their personalities are revealed to us, "Find a quote, and they speak about the effects of the major events on themselves "find another quote".
The time period depicted in Hard Times is the times of the depression, but it is not restricted to that time period. There