The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid In The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, Bill Bryson recounts 1950s America as he, a young boy in suburban Iowa, experienced it. The book is less of a historical account and more of a comedic childhood memoir, but it still provides an excellent snapshot into American culture at the time. Bryson, between stories of childhood antics and familial eccentricities, provides factual accounts of the culture of post war America in its time of innovation and financial prosperity, and just how different the era was to society as it is today. At the same time, though, Bryson describes aspects of life such as the most simple childhood experiences or products new to the fifties (for instance, the humble TV …show more content…
Much of The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid is written hyperbolically, as Bryson describes things such as the gymnasium of his elementary school to be blatantly bigger than they were. The hyperbole is also used frequently to heighten the aforementioned comedic tone of the book—Bryson once describes a bully receiving retribution at school with “Tyrone thrust an arm far down his throat, grabbed hold of something deep inside, and turned him inside out” (Bryson, 243). This writing technique, though, helps to put the reader in the shoes of a child for the duration of the book. It reminds of a time when everything seemed much bigger and more dramatic than they ever were in reality. Bryson recalls a sense of naïveté as well, much to the same effect. He gives accounts of having strolled through Harlem with his sister without a second thought, and having live through the Polio outbreak with a kid’s ignorance of the weight of that issue. He remarks once, “I grew up in possibly the scariest period in American history and had no idea of it” (Bryson 199). The effect created, through better or worse situations, is still one that invokes reminders of childhood. During better memories, Bryson captures such a sense of childish nostalgia that one can feel it for a time they never actually lived through. Though Bryson’s childhood was comprised of early TV and declaredly lackluster toys such as Lincoln Logs, his writing makes childhood out to be such a universal experience that a period so vastly unique as the fifties doesn’t seem so different at all. By capturing the feeling of being a kid, Bryson conveys universality in his childhood while speaking of situations specific to the era he grew up
...aily life in the United States during the 1920s and 30s is a relatively complete one. Kyvig captivates the reader with his abundance of facts, while still allowing the reader to do some thinking of their own. This book would most likely be used for someone who is researching the titular topic of daily life. However, almost everyone can benefit from reading this book. It allows people in modern America to look back upon the things which we now take for granted. It shows the hardships that Americans have been forced to endure and shows how timeless our perseverance is.
Elaine Tyler May's Homeward Bound weaves two traditional narratives of the fifties -- suburban domesticity and rampant anticommunism -- into one compelling historical argument. Aiming to ascertain why, unlike both their parents and children, postwar Americans turned to marriage and parenthood with such enthusiasm and commitment, May discovers that cold war ideology and the domestic revival [were] two sides of the same coin: postwar Americans' intense need to feel liberated from the past and secure in the future. (May, p. 5-6, 10) According to May, "domestic containment" was an outgrowth of the fears and aspirations unleashed after the war -- Within the home, potentially dangerous social forces of the new age might be tamed, where they could contribute to the secure and fulfilling life to which postwar women and men aspired.(May, p. 14) Moreover, the therapeutic emphases of fifties psychologists and intellectuals offered private and personal solutions to social problems. The family was the arena in which that adaptation was expected to occur; the home was the environment in which people could feel good about themselves. In this way, domestic containment and its therapeutic corollary undermined the potential for political activism and reinforced the chilling effects of anticommunism and the cold war consensus.(May, p.14)
Are adults overprotective of their children? To what point do we protect children? Where should the line be drawn? Along with those questions is how easily children can be influenced by these same adults. Two poets, Richard Wilbur and Billy Collins, express the ideas of how easily children can be manipulated and how sometimes adults think they are protecting their innocent children, when in reality they are not. Wilbur and Collins express these ideas in their poems through numerous literary devices. The literary devices used by Wilbur and Collins expose different meanings and two extremely different end results. Among the various literary devices used, Wilbur uses imagery, a simple rhyme scheme and meter, juxtaposition of the rational and irrational, and a humorous tone to represent the narrator’s attempt to “domesticate” irrational fears. Conversely Collins uses symbols, historical interpretations, imagery, diction and other literary devices to depict the history teacher’s effort to shield his students from reality. In the poems, “A Barred Owl,” by Richard Wilbur, and “The History Teacher,” by Billy Collins, both poets convey how adults protect and calm children from their biggest, darkest fears and curiosities.
Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif” and A.S. Byatt’s “The Thing in the Forest” are both focused on the intersections of childhood trauma, memory, and guilt, as well as how someone’s childhood can affect them through life. Each has its own idea of what effect the guilt might have on a person and how it can affect different people in different ways. “Recitatif” and “The Thing in the Forest” both revolve around the guilt and confusion that adults face when reflecting upon their childhood and wondering if their recollections are entirely accurate; however, one focuses on the difference it makes in otherwise parallel lives and the other focuses on the parallel it makes in otherwise different lives.
No matter race, background or time period, every child goes through the drastic change from childhood to adulthood that we know of as “coming of age.” Since the topic of coming of age is so widespread and relatable, it is a very common theme in novels. In fact, many American classics follow the archetype known as loss of innocence, which displays the change in views and values of a child during this time period. Childhood is hard enough how it is, but during certain time periods and in certain locations, it can be exceptionally difficult; an example of this stressed hardship is the Deep South during the times of segregation and The Great Depression. One American classic that follows this archetype is To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee; in this narrative, she shows a dramatic change in Scout and Jem’s understanding of courage and empathy with the help of their father, Atticus, as they mature in the Deep South.
Children have often been viewed as innocent and innocent may be a nicer way to call children naive. Since children’s lives are so worry free they lack the knowledge of how to transition from being a child to becoming an adolescent. Their lack of knowledge may be a large part of their difficulties growing up, which could be a few rough years for many. In books like the boy in the striped pajamas the story is told from the point of view of a little boy, this way we get a full view of how innocent he is. In this book the writer shows the reader first hand how a child viewed the holocaust and how his innocence cost him his life. Then in books like the perks of being a wallflower Charlie is a teen whom is struggling with the transition from being a child to becoming an adolescent. In this book the writer gives a first hand look at how difficult it can be to transition into an adolescent. Charlie has many difficulties in this book; he is in search of his identity and how to fit in.
The 1950s in America was a time that brought about simplicity and perfection amongst the American society. The “all-American Dream” with the flawless family, which was emphasized by the constraints, and expectations that were demanded by the American Republican era of Eisenhower, would pave way for manifesting changes of the 1960s. Through the emphasis of media and societal expectations and political and wartime upheaval, Americans would fit the cookie cutter mold that would breed the fighters and lovers of the 1960s.
While societal attitudes attitudes may change over time, the challenges associated with the transition from childhood to adulthood remain constant. The ideas of individuality, alienation and loss of innocence fortify the theme of coming of age across the texts The Catcher in the Rye and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The Catcher in the Rye, a bildungsroman novel written by J.D. Salinger in 1951, focuses on teenager Holden Caulfield’s transition from childhood to adulthood in 1950’s America, whereas the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower directed by Stephen Chbosky in 2012 follows teenager Charlie experiencing a similar transition in 1990’s America. Despite their varying contexts, these ideas are presented in both texts through the use the
As World War Two came to a close, a new American culture was developing all across the United States. Families were moving away from crowded cities into spacious suburban towns to help create a better life for them during and after the baby boom of the post-war era. Teenagers were starting to become independent by listing to their own music and not wearing the same style of clothing as their parents. Aside from the progress of society that was made during this time period, many people still did not discuss controversial issues such as divorce and sexual relations between young people. While many historians regard the 1950s as a time of true conservatism at its finest, it could really be considered a time of true progression in the American way of life.
Growing up and becoming mature can be an intimidating experience; it is difficult to let go of one’s childhood and embrace the adult world. For some people, this transition from youthfulness to maturity can be much more difficult than for others. These people often try to hold on to their childhood as long as they can. Unfortunately, life is not so simple. One cannot spend their entire life running from the responsibilities and hardships of adulthood because they will eventually have to accept the fact that they have a role in society that they must fulfill as a responsible, mature individual. The novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger follows the endeavours of Holden Caulfield, a sixteen-year-old teenage boy who faces a point in his life where he must make the transition from childhood to adulthood. In an attempt to retain his own childhood, he begins hoping to stop other young children from growing up and losing their innocence as well. As indicated by the title, “The Catcher in the Rye” is a book that explores a theme involving the preservation of innocence, especially of children. It is a story about a boy who is far too hesitant to grow up, and feels the need to ensure that no one else around him has to grow up either. His own fear of maturity and growing up is what leads to Holden’s desire to become a “catcher in the rye” so he can save innocent children from becoming part of the “phoniness” of the adult world.
Growing up is a difficult task. This is true especially Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Using many examples of the loss of childhood innocence, Lee shows us that a corrupted society leads to growing up faster and one’s childhood being stripped away. Through Jem, the eldest of the Finch children, and Scout, the youngest, the readers see how a trial in 1930s Alabama takes a toll on young minds. Jem and Scout grow up more than expected when their summer consists of nothing but a racist trial. In Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, she implies that growing up leads to loss of innocence, especially in troubling times.
THOSE OF US WHO grew up in the 1950s got an image of the American family that was not, shall we say, accurate. We were told, Father Knows Best, Leave It to Beaver, and Ozzie and Harriet were not just the way things were supposed to be—but the way things were
Growing up is a challenge that every child has to face at some point in their lives. When a child grows up, he comes to the realization that the world isn’t a pretty place, and everything that seems perfect on top may hide a deeper, uglier truth right beneath the surface. A child loses his blissful naiveté and finally sees the world for what it truly is. First the child is hurt and terrified, but he eventually learns how to deal with the shocking revelation. Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is a classic example of a Bildungsroman, or a literary genre that focuses on the protagonist’s psychological and moral growth. To Kill a Mockingbird describes two young children’s growth in a society where prejudice is the norm and radical views are frowned upon. These two children, Jem and Scout Finch, are forced to grow up much too quickly due to the jolting events they witness and the people they meet. Fortunately, Atticus Finch, their fair, wise, and levelheaded father, guide the children onto the correct paths in life and help them make sense of the complicated and hypocritical society they live in, Maycomb County, Alabama. To Kill a Mockingbird marks the progress in these two children’s development as they face new experiences in life. The changes these children go through repeatedly reflect the central theme of the book: the innocence of good people destroyed; good and evil can coexist and things aren’t always what they appear to be.
Everyone remembers their childhood, how they used to play around every single day, carefree and untroubled. One can remember playing in the mud and carelessly, curious and naively. One can also remember living in their own little world, deaf to the world and issues around him or her. It is something everyone wants to last, but it slips by as quickly as time passes. It is what as known as childhood innocence, the barrier shielding children from the harsh realities of the world around them. The loss of innocence is a stage in life everyone has to pass, which takes place after a significant event in one’s life that destroys their bright and happy views. As highlighted in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, all children are born innocent and care free, but it is inevitable that the innocence will be stripped away as they grow older and are susceptible to the world’s harsh realities. This theme is visible throughout the entire novel, but it is most prevalent in the society in which they live in, the racism that the children are exposed to, and their realization of the true world around them.
Jean Louise “Scout” and Jem Finch experienced life in the 1930’s living in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. Their childhood was a nonstop adventure that brought jocund days and testing trials that teenager’s today experience even with the world around us changing every day. The moral upbringings, educational importance, and the crime rate of small towns all contributed to the childhood memories that were built every day in Maycomb County. These attributes to childhood experiences have changed a lot over the vast time period between the 1930’s and 2000’s. The moral upbringings are different in the way that children living now are experiencing a different surrounding in their everyday life and have lost morals that were taught in the 1930’s. Education is more important now than in the 1930’s because of the many laws that have been established to keep children well educated to help them succeed. Living in a small town had many advantages like the low crime rate; crime rate has risen and caused an effect on small town life. There are many similarities as well as differences between the childhood in the 1930’s and the 2000’s. The changes that have occurred affect my life as a young Alabamian every day in many ways.