Analysis Of The Fifties By David Halberstam

The Fifties by David Halberstam is a phenomenal account of one of the most influential decades in the history of the United States of America. From the war in Korea to the opening of E.J. Korvette, it seems as though Halberstam scrutinizes the nineteen fifties with the utmost care and respect. In doing so, he also creates a vivid portrait of American life in the decade. However, Halberstam's writing style is not always straightforward and at times can be confusing, especially to readers without some prior knowledge of the events that took place during the fifties. Though the book may be confusing at times, it is still a marvelous collection of the events that defined the fifties and the decades that followed.

One of the major strong points of The Fifties is the author's ostensible need to include every detail that could have impacted the formation of any aspects that pertain to the developments that shaped the fifties. This is most notable in the characterization of major figures of the time such as Marlon Brando and Elvis Presley. For example, in reference to Brando, Halberstam (1993)

Chiefly, the ugliness of the racial tension that emerged as a result of the integration process in Little Rock, Arkansas. Halberstam (1993) uses forceful quotes, such as, “Someone was yelling, 'Lynch her! Lynch her!'” (p. 755), to exhibit the magnitude of the mob rule in Little Rock. In refraining from lessening the weight of the scenes of the Little Rock integration process, Halberstam produces a genuine atmosphere for the readers to immerse themselves in, which allows for those readers to experience the event as it happened. This permits Halberstam to also construct a scene that appeals to a multitude of the senses, and for that reason, The Fifties contains multiple riveting portrayals of life for varied