Difference between revisions of "328 2010--Week 9 Questions/Comments"
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==American Women Ask Eleanor Roosevelt for Help== | ==American Women Ask Eleanor Roosevelt for Help== | ||
| − | Let me just say that almost all of the primary sources for this week broke my heart. Pain and sadness and such a thick sense of hope lost just oozing off of the paper. But the letters written to Eleanor Roosevelt struck me especially. That these women honestly believed Eleanor would try and help them says a lot about the way she related to Americans and how she tried to present herself as someone who understood how hard the Depression had become for American families. I couldn't believe that one of the women sent her rings to the White House in exchange for baby clothes. She is a perfect example of why birth control should have been made widely available to women, as these families will do anything for their children and it terrifies them to bring babies into the world that they can't afford. And her resistance to the idea of charity, as well as her desire for Eleanor Roosevelt to keep her request a secret, reflect the same attitudes of women Meridel LeSueur's writings about how women do not seek assistance in nearly the same numbers as men do. They are supposed to be the infallible mothers who always provide for their children, and when they cannot they don't want to admit that they haven't achieved the ideal. On a side note, the letters made me wonder what sort of things the Obamas read these days, as the current economic situation isn't the Depression, but I imagine they get some painful letters as well. -Mary Ann | + | Let me just say that almost all of the primary sources for this week broke my heart. '''Pain and sadness and such a thick sense of hope lost just oozing off of the paper. But the letters written to Eleanor Roosevelt struck me especially. That these women honestly believed Eleanor would try and help them says a lot about the way she related to Americans and how she tried to present herself as someone who understood how hard the Depression had become for American families.''' I couldn't believe that one of the women sent her rings to the White House in exchange for baby clothes. She is a perfect example of why birth control should have been made widely available to women, as these families will do anything for their children and it terrifies them to bring babies into the world that they can't afford. And her resistance to the idea of charity, as well as her desire for Eleanor Roosevelt to keep her request a secret, reflect the same attitudes of women Meridel LeSueur's writings about how women do not seek assistance in nearly the same numbers as men do. They are supposed to be the infallible mothers who always provide for their children, and when they cannot they don't want to admit that they haven't achieved the ideal. On a side note, the letters made me wonder what sort of things the Obamas read these days, as the current economic situation isn't the Depression, but I imagine they get some painful letters as well. -Mary Ann |
I found the letters to Eleanor Roosevelt to be really upsetting. I can’t imagine how desperate a person must be to send these letters, and their descriptions of what they need are so basic for survival. The only letter that didn’t touch me was the first, the woman has a $2000 mortgage that she can afford, but needs help finding a job for her husband because she has a baby on the way. When reading the other articles about women who had been saving for 15 years and had $30, to hear that this woman who could make a $2000 mortgage payment is really frustrating. But I guess it says a lot that an obviously well off woman is seeking help from the White House at the same time that very poor women are. (I wonder if Mrs. H.E.C. ever got her rings back that she sent Mrs. Roosevelt as security, that was really sad to read…) – Erin Sanderson | I found the letters to Eleanor Roosevelt to be really upsetting. I can’t imagine how desperate a person must be to send these letters, and their descriptions of what they need are so basic for survival. The only letter that didn’t touch me was the first, the woman has a $2000 mortgage that she can afford, but needs help finding a job for her husband because she has a baby on the way. When reading the other articles about women who had been saving for 15 years and had $30, to hear that this woman who could make a $2000 mortgage payment is really frustrating. But I guess it says a lot that an obviously well off woman is seeking help from the White House at the same time that very poor women are. (I wonder if Mrs. H.E.C. ever got her rings back that she sent Mrs. Roosevelt as security, that was really sad to read…) – Erin Sanderson | ||
| − | These letters were heart wrenching(as Mary Ann and Erin have already stated and I am sure everyone will continue to say).The desperation, the sadness, the hope all jump off the page. I think it was the hope that got me the most. I know it said that all the letters "were answered or passed on to the appropriate government agency for action" (149), but these were only 4 letters and the Roosevelts recieved up to 8,000 A DAY. I have hard time believing that they were all taken care of. I mean answering all these letters would have definitely created some jobs, but it just seems so sad that they had to call on the First Lady, the magical woman in D.C. with all the answers. It just seemed like they were (devastating)letters to Santa or something. --kokeefe | + | These letters were heart wrenching(as Mary Ann and Erin have already stated and I am sure everyone will continue to say).The desperation, the sadness, the hope all jump off the page. I think it was the hope that got me the most. I know it said that all the letters "were answered or passed on to the appropriate government agency for action" (149), but these were only 4 letters and the Roosevelts recieved up to 8,000 A DAY. '''I have hard time believing that they were all taken care of. I mean answering all these letters would have definitely created some jobs, but it just seems so sad that they had to call on the First Lady, the magical woman in D.C. with all the answers. It just seemed like they were (devastating)letters to Santa or something.''' --kokeefe |
I agree with all the other postings; this was terribly sad to read. The women who wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt seemed to have exhausted all of their other options and didn't know where else to turn. I found it especially depressing how it seemed to bother the women to ask a favor of the Roosevelts, despite their extreme need. The hurt pride must have been just as terrible as the empty stomachs.-Anna Holman | I agree with all the other postings; this was terribly sad to read. The women who wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt seemed to have exhausted all of their other options and didn't know where else to turn. I found it especially depressing how it seemed to bother the women to ask a favor of the Roosevelts, despite their extreme need. The hurt pride must have been just as terrible as the empty stomachs.-Anna Holman | ||
| − | I can't imagine asking the first lady and the president of the United States for help in buying neccesities or things I can not afford on my own. I wonder how many of the letters she responded to and if she actually gave the people what they asked for and not just advice or direction on where to go. I thought the one letter about the women who sent her prized possessions to Eleanor Roosevelt as security was sad. I also wonder if anyone today writes these kinds of letters to the president when they are not able to afford everything they need. -Amy Van Ness | + | I can't imagine asking the first lady and the president of the United States for help in buying neccesities or things I can not afford on my own. I wonder how many of the letters she responded to and if she actually gave the people what they asked for and not just advice or direction on where to go. I thought the one letter about the women who sent her prized possessions to Eleanor Roosevelt as security was sad. '''I also wonder if anyone today writes these kinds of letters to the president when they are not able to afford everything they need.''' -Amy Van Ness |
| − | As everyone else has noted the letters written to FDR and Eleanor broke my heart. As Erin asked I wonder if women not just Mrs. H.E.C. but also the other hundreds of women got their security deposits back? And as other letters showed some people wanted to send security deposits thinking that would help their case, did it? Or were the Roosevelts just as heart broken as I am today reading these letters and wished there was an easy fix-it button to hit? I could not imagine the lives of these women and what they endured to sit and write a letter asking for help not for them to survive but for the betterment of their families. Have any other administrations made public letters such as these or do they focus on other matters at hand and not internal affairs? -Megan W. | + | As everyone else has noted the letters written to FDR and Eleanor broke my heart. As Erin asked I wonder if women not just Mrs. H.E.C. but also the other hundreds of women got their security deposits back? And as other letters showed some people wanted to send security deposits thinking that would help their case, did it? Or were the Roosevelts just as heart broken as I am today reading these letters and wished there was an easy fix-it button to hit? I could not imagine the lives of these women and what they endured to sit and write a letter asking for help not for them to survive but for the betterment of their families. '''Have any other administrations made public letters such as these or do they focus on other matters at hand and not internal affairs?''' -Megan W. |
I think Mary Ann brings up an important point in regards to women's resistance to accept charity. While I agree with everyone who has posted that these letters were heartbreaking, I also felt a sharp sense of pride reflected in these letters. Some women were willing to give collateral, like the woman with the wedding rings, just to ensure that any aid they were given was not viewed as charity, rather a loan. I think this reflects a lot of women's sentiments at the time and I am curious to see what other objects or possessions women were willing to part with to receive things they needed. -abratchi | I think Mary Ann brings up an important point in regards to women's resistance to accept charity. While I agree with everyone who has posted that these letters were heartbreaking, I also felt a sharp sense of pride reflected in these letters. Some women were willing to give collateral, like the woman with the wedding rings, just to ensure that any aid they were given was not viewed as charity, rather a loan. I think this reflects a lot of women's sentiments at the time and I am curious to see what other objects or possessions women were willing to part with to receive things they needed. -abratchi | ||
| − | The letters to Mrs. Roosevelt were indeed upsetting, although I was most impressed with the woman seeking assistance for a new baby and offering to provide collateral. My question is why didn’t she take Mrs. Roosevelt’s advice and seek assistance from the Welfare Association? I understand pride and it’s commendable that she didn’t want to be seen as a charity case, but I think that the welfare of your children is always paramount. I think that she should have sucked it up, gone to the Welfare Association and asked for assistance. Social programs are put in place to help those in need for a specific period of time, I know I would have done anything and gone anywhere to help my kids. In addition, I found it kind of amusing that in all of this tragic poverty, one child writes and asks for roller skates of all things. I wonder if the Roosevelt’s or the White House had asked the citizens to send them letters of concern or if these are just individuals just too overburdened and looking for hope. EFritz | + | The letters to Mrs. Roosevelt were indeed upsetting, although I was most impressed with the woman seeking assistance for a new baby and offering to provide collateral. My question is why didn’t she take Mrs. Roosevelt’s advice and seek assistance from the Welfare Association? '''I understand pride and it’s commendable that she didn’t want to be seen as a charity case, but I think that the welfare of your children is always paramount.''' I think that she should have sucked it up, gone to the Welfare Association and asked for assistance. Social programs are put in place to help those in need for a specific period of time, I know I would have done anything and gone anywhere to help my kids. In addition, I found it kind of amusing that in all of this tragic poverty, one child writes and asks for roller skates of all things. I wonder if the Roosevelt’s or the White House had asked the citizens to send them letters of concern or if these are just individuals just too overburdened and looking for hope. EFritz |
In response to the above about the woman not wanting help from the Welfare Association, I think it's just really a matter of pride, but completely understandable. Welfare was a VERY new cause then, and before the only people who got charity were those of the low low working class. These women writing Mrs. Roosevelt were obviously very educated, probably newly impoverished and couldn't possibly imagine being indebted to someone. It is interesting to the note change in American views toward the presidency. I feel that today you would not see these huge amounts of letters to the President and First Lady in time of need. - Christine | In response to the above about the woman not wanting help from the Welfare Association, I think it's just really a matter of pride, but completely understandable. Welfare was a VERY new cause then, and before the only people who got charity were those of the low low working class. These women writing Mrs. Roosevelt were obviously very educated, probably newly impoverished and couldn't possibly imagine being indebted to someone. It is interesting to the note change in American views toward the presidency. I feel that today you would not see these huge amounts of letters to the President and First Lady in time of need. - Christine | ||
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My first response to each of these letters is "Wow." I literally am struggling to find something to say. I agree with ABRATCHI about feeling the pride reflected in the letters. These women were all very strong-willed, though they were in hopeless situations. They were able to place aside their fears and insecurities in order to ask the most powerful woman in America to help them. That alone is respectable. It is also interesting to see how the way American's react to dire situation has changed in the past few decades. I sense that Americans, women in particular, have evolved to possess a more "go-getter" attitude.--MDvorak | My first response to each of these letters is "Wow." I literally am struggling to find something to say. I agree with ABRATCHI about feeling the pride reflected in the letters. These women were all very strong-willed, though they were in hopeless situations. They were able to place aside their fears and insecurities in order to ask the most powerful woman in America to help them. That alone is respectable. It is also interesting to see how the way American's react to dire situation has changed in the past few decades. I sense that Americans, women in particular, have evolved to possess a more "go-getter" attitude.--MDvorak | ||
| − | Like everyone has already expressed these letters were heartbreaking to read and its impossible not to feel these womens despair. They reminded me of a previous reading we did of the letters that African Americans in the south sent to a Chicago newspaper in their desperation to find a job. These women echoed the same amount of faith and trust that those women did in their letters. While these letters are extremely difficult to read it was amazing to see the kind of faith that the American people had in the government. Eleanor Roosevelt really made her self available to the people and whether or not she was able to help these women I think it must have helped them to know that there was someone out there who was listening. --Emma Peck | + | Like everyone has already expressed these letters were heartbreaking to read and its impossible not to feel these womens despair. '''They reminded me of a previous reading we did of the letters that African Americans in the south sent to a Chicago newspaper in their desperation to find a job. These women echoed the same amount of faith and trust that those women did in their letters. While these letters are extremely difficult to read it was amazing to see the kind of faith that the American people had in the government.''' Eleanor Roosevelt really made her self available to the people and whether or not she was able to help these women I think it must have helped them to know that there was someone out there who was listening. --Emma Peck |
I, like many others, found the letters to Mrs. Roosevelt really interesting. I think that its important to notice that many of these women were not comfortable asking for charity, and even reassured Mrs. Roosevelt that if she couldn't help them, they would understand. I also thought that the lady who offered her rings as a sort of collateral was especially intriguing because that fact that she was willing to give up two of her most important possessions shows how desperately she needed help. It also shows how much she trusted the First Lady to keep her rings safe so that she could earn them back later. I think its really cool and different how close these women felt to her. It seems to have been on such a personal level, like they were old friends. - Angie | I, like many others, found the letters to Mrs. Roosevelt really interesting. I think that its important to notice that many of these women were not comfortable asking for charity, and even reassured Mrs. Roosevelt that if she couldn't help them, they would understand. I also thought that the lady who offered her rings as a sort of collateral was especially intriguing because that fact that she was willing to give up two of her most important possessions shows how desperately she needed help. It also shows how much she trusted the First Lady to keep her rings safe so that she could earn them back later. I think its really cool and different how close these women felt to her. It seems to have been on such a personal level, like they were old friends. - Angie | ||
