Download The Good War: An Oral History of World War II, by Studs Terkel, 1984

Honors American Studies
Newton and Weiss
Welcome to Payton’s brand-new historical literature course, Honors American Studies.
The purpose of this course is to look at the ways in which history affects literature and how literature is
created as a result of history. That said, we will, most often, look at literature and primary sources from
both of these lenses.
Part I:
Read excerpts from The Good War: An Oral History of World War II, by Studs Terkel, 1984
“This is a memory book, rather than one of hard fact and precise statistic.”
- Studs Terkel
Studs Terkel was an author and historian who lived and worked in Chicago for most of his life. He
published The Good War in 1984 after interviewing dozens of people about their experiences in WWII.
Although he’s the author, he didn’t write very much of The Good War. Instead the book is mostly the
transcripts of his conversations, during which he let other people do most of the talking. On the pages
that follow you will find three of these interviews. Rosemary Hanley, Joe Hanley, and Timuel Black
were all Chicagoans, but their WWII experiences were very different.
As you read the interviews, take notes and try to figure out from the following about the three individuals:
 Race
 Social Class (during WWII)
 Gender
 Age (during WWII)
Did you see any evidence that these people felt their experiences during or after the war were influenced
by their race, class, gender, or age? Bring your notes and be prepared to talk about these issues the first
day of school.
Part II:
Read Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut (you can find this book at all major book stores, local book
stores, and amazon.com)
“All this happened, more or less. The war parts, anyway, are pretty much true.”
-Kurt Vonnegut
Note: This book may be confusing in some parts due to the fact that the main character travels between
different periods in his life. Therefore, this is not a traditional linear story as we are used to.
As you read the novel, annotate and try to figure out how the reality of the war affected Vonnegut’s
writing. Consider the following questions:
 Why do authors write fiction about historical events?
 What is the difference between fact and fiction?
 How does fact influence fiction? Vice-Versa?
Assignment:
After you consider the issues above, write a one-page, double-spaced response to the following questions.
It should be printed and ready to turn in on the first day of school.
Considering the interviews and the novel, how does history affect literature? Which of the two types of
sources do you think is more useful or reliable for understanding the past? Why?