Bill Bryson’s One Summer: America, 1927 appears to be a mere retelling of the summer of 1927, however it explains much more to the reader. Bryson shows the reader how America came from being an average country, to a dominating force not only economically, but socially. “With American speech came American thoughts, American attitudes, American humor and sensibilities. Peacefully, by accident, and almost unnoticed, America had just taken over the world” (Bryson 334). This quote does not mean America had literally taken over the world and ruled it politically. It meant that America had dominated the world by projecting out its accomplishments, speech, humor, and ideals for the world to see. It was not America’s plan to become a prominent country …show more content…
In 1927, movies were making over $750 million for America. Movie theaters were erected across the country, and movies became one of the most purchased forms of entertainment in America (Bryson 320). With the creating of Henry Ford’s Model T, cars became an appliance every family had, rather than a plaything. Not only were Ford’s cars marketed at a reasonable price, but Ford had opened factories in many foreign countries, supplying jobs overseas (Bryson 232). As grand as Ford’s impact on the world’s economy was, America still left the rest of the world behind as its own economy grew better. Almost half of the goods produced in the world was American, and America was in possession of half of the world’s gold. The majority of America’s wealth in 1927 can be explained by the stock market, but nonetheless, America had become the most wealthy country (Bryson 66). America’s wealth had a great impact on the world. Americans could visit other countries and spend their visit much like royalty on the country’s crippled currency. America had also increased its tariffs, making it difficult for other countries to trade in order to balance their own economies (Bryson 94). In the end, America really had taken over the world financially, and four bankers had to meet in order to split up the gold supply and balance the world’s economy once again (Bryson
World War I had placed great strains on the economies of the most European nations that were involved in the conflict. With trade agreements with countries like Britain, France and United Kingdom America’s economy flourished, as they forced these countries to accept goods in exchange for debt. The economy of America soared to new heights. America’s abundant natural resources and technological advances were used to become leaders in manufactured exports. (Encl) Usually the general public would opposed big business owners to partner with government, but as the lifestyles of many Americans elevated these relationships were accepted. By the end of the decade, 1910 to 1919, annual incomes rose from $580 to $1300 setting the stage for the “crazy years” known as the “Roaring Twenties”.
Gary Soto wrote a memoir called, “A Summer Life.” In a memoir, being yourself, and telling your own story are all important. They are important because you don’t want to lie and say you like something if you don’t. Speaking freely is telling how you really feel and not caring what other people think about it. And telling your own story is very important because the story is suppose to be about you not anyone else.
In contrast to this small town were the advancing views of America. The twenties continued to roar towards modernism. “Breakthroughs in technology, the increase in material wealth, and the beginning of an empire seemingly heralded the upward march of civilization, with America on the forefront” (Dumenil 6). In all directions, it was clear that America was moving forward. Transportation was a prime example of this advancement. Innovator Henry Ford introduced his “ Ford Miracle” to the public (Dumenil 6). Economies and the social values also began to advance. “Dubious get-rich-quick schemes and fads…contributed to a tone of feverish frivolity” (Dumenil 7). People began to lead fast paced lives with the desire to become rich, quickly.
Back in 1990, a man named Gary Soto decided to write an autobiography about himself, titled A Summer Life. One of the more interesting portions of the book was when Mr. Soto described a summer day back when he was six years old. On that day, young Gary found out what it felt like to be a true sinner, as he stole an apple pie from the local bakery. Some readers found this as one of the more interesting parts, not because of the plot, but because of the literary devices used, such as detail, imagery, and pacing. The three aforementioned literary devices are almost a backbone to the story, because without those three, the story would be shortened and fairly bland. The following three paragraphs will each describe a literary devices used by Mr. Soto to enhance the quality of his story.
In the years following the Civil War, the American economy was suffering from extreme disorder. However, during the late 1800s and early 1900s, important leaders of American industry arose, essentially transforming the American financial system from chaos to efficiency. These powerful men shaped America into a world superpower and the country’s economy sparked jealousy across the globe. Their contributions to business positively affected not only the United States’ economy, but society as well. Andrew Carnegie, John Davison Rockefeller, and John Pierpont Morgan reflect on the mammoth industrial age of America.
...he directions, it says, “The businessmen of the period felt justified in their actions as the United States became the world’s leading industrial power with the U.S. producing as much as Germany, Britain, and France combined.” This means that the businessmen not only resorted to these tactics for their own financial betterments, but for America’s financial betterments as well.
The Poem that relates most to my life is “America” written by Tony Hoagland. I believe this poem has the ability to save America. It was once said “Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy. No person will make you happy unless you decide to be happy. Your happiness will not come to you. It will only come from you.” It all starts with looking in the mirror rather than looking at others. To everyone this is so different because everyone chooses a different path though life. Every story is different but the best part is you get to tell your story and share it with the world.
Overall, the 1920s was a critical turning point in America's history.The dichotomies of the 1920s are examples of how things can change tremendously and have an effect on a whole nation. Most Americans started to think differently.They were tired of the normality. Even though some Americans wanted to reinstitute the normality before the World War 1, their ideas could not withstand the ideas of those with new values.
Sinclair's novel is meant to entirely reject the capitalist system and to bring in its place a socialist system. In this novel, capitalism and its exploitation of the immigrants and other workers, are in fact shown to be tools of the capitalist bosses, used as another means to control and mislead them. In Sinclair's novel the broken dreams of Jurgis Rudkis and his fellow Lithuanian immigrants, unions are meant to be institutions which give false hope to the workers. They live in utterly dreadful circumstances and are exploited like animals by their capitalist bosses. The women are forced to work at an inhuman pace, lose money if they cannot, and then fired if the complain. (106). And the men in the packinghouses like slaves in hell. When Jurgis is lucky enough to be picked for work, he finds working conditions to hardly fitting of the American Dream for which he left his native Lithuania. Sinclair is relentless in providing page after page of detailed horrors the immigrants faced everyday at work, "there were the beef luggers who carried two-hundred-pound quarters into the refrigerators cars, a fearful kind of work, that began at four o'clock in the morning, and that wore out the most powerful men in a few years.......of..... al those who used knives, you could scarcely find a person who had the use of his thumb (101).
Throughout his villanelle, “Saturday at the Border,” Hayden Carruth continuously mentions the “death-knell” (Carruth 3) to reveal his aged narrator’s anticipation of his upcoming death. The poem written in conversation with Carruth’s villanelle, “Monday at the River,” assures the narrator that despite his age, he still possesses the expertise to write a well structured poem. Additionally, the poem offers Carruth’s narrator a different attitude with which to approach his writing, as well as his death, to alleviate his feelings of distress and encourage him to write with confidence.
After World War I and during the 1920s, America’s economy was growing to be the best in the world. Consumerism had led to the increase in purchases made by Americans and the amount of products that had been produced. Some of the consumer goods that were now in demand had included the automobile,
On the heels of war, new technology caused a decrease in prices of goods in the 1920’s and in the 1950’s the GI Bill increased income. The bureaucratization of business in the 1920’s meant that more people could be employed in higher paying white-collar jobs than before, including, for the first time, housewives. This new income combined with the reduced prices for goods that resulted from mechanized production, assembly lines and a general decrease of the cost of technology created a thriving consumerist middle class that went on to fuel the economy in all sectors, especially the upper classes. Likewise, during World War II Americans saved up around 150 billion dollars, and this sum combined with the income of the GI Bill allowed normal people to buy expensive things, from houses to cars to electronics to educations at a rapid rate, fueling the trademark prosperity of the 1950’s. The new automobile culture of the 50’s spawned new businesses that catered to mobile Americans, such as nicer and more standardized hotels like Holiday Inn, and drive-up restaurants like McDonalds. Just as the culture of the 1920’s was transfo...
The 1920's were a time where North America became modernized. Whether it was the music, the culture or the growth in technology, this time era is known to most people as the point where America advanced itself to become a world renowned country. An advancement that will be focused on is the Ford Model T. During this time owning a car was a symbol of wealth. Henry Ford, the creator of the Model T, made a system that revolutionized the automobile industry as we know it today. Henry Ford made it possible for people with an average income to own a motor vehicle by creating the assembly line and the theory of mass production. "The horse, which had been the chief means of land transportation for 3,500 years, had given way to the automobile, and the country's largest industry had been born." (Gordon)
During the last 40 years of the nineteenth century the United States became the worlds greatest economic power. The rapid rate of economic growth happened for a
Located deep within the vast open waters of the South Pacific Ocean is a nation that is seemingly hidden to the rest of the world. The country of Vanuatu is a world within itself full of cultural diversities, geographical wonders and natural beauty that cannot compare to anywhere else in the world. The natives who inhabit the cluster of islands that make up the country of Vanuatu are proud of their heritage and have strong beliefs in their ways of life. With countless influences from other cultures, they have become their own breed of sorts. Their richness and cultural diversity is one of its main attraction to visitors, who can witness rituals and traditional ceremonies that are an integral part of modern life. Due to the natural boundaries, large open stretches of water, and the jungle and mountainous terrain, tourism is very low, leaving Vanuatu as one of the most untouched native areas remaining on Earth today. By taking a deeper look inside at what all it has to offer, Vanuatu is a county of the South Pacific rich in culture and local traditions that many may soon realize that they need to discover.