In unit 2, unity and division is the major topic of discussion. Through the readings of
Paul Johnson (A History of the American People) and Howard Zinn’s (A People's History of the United States), major themes were studies. In this paper, two of these themes will be applied; politics and government and inequality. An analysis of the works by these two authors has been made, in a bid to bring out the differences in the information they present.
Through the identification and discussion of these differences, it is easier to draw connections with the themes that have been covered in the unit. This way, better insight is gained, with regards to the events that happened in this period, and the ability of both writers to convey information. One…show more content…
The major way through which this happens is through the exploitation of the majority, by an elite minority. It is not right to say that Zinn represents a lot of negativity in his work. What Zinn did is that he was not afraid of saying the plain truths. The stories, which were previously ignored, have been included in his work. He had tried to show the faults and the negative sides of America, throughout history. This truthful nature has made his book a favorite for many high schools and colleges in the US. The major way in which Zinn brings out division is through explanation of worker’s conditions. He states that the minority elite own the biggest companies. They exploit the majority with low salaries and poor working conditions.
This divides society into social classes, preventing unity.
To some extent, Zinn also talks about politics and government, when he explains how people should change. However, the people who he takes to be in power are the elite society of America. In writing this book, the major aim, for Zinn, was to set a quiet revolution. This meant that he would point out ills in the society, to create initiative in Americans, to take power in their own hands. He explains that workers have the power to decide and dictate the working conditions under which they are subjected. In so doing, he expects that the gap
between
Paul Johnson (A History of the American People) and Howard Zinn’s (A People's History of the United States), major themes were studies. In this paper, two of these themes will be applied; politics and government and inequality. An analysis of the works by these two authors has been made, in a bid to bring out the differences in the information they present.
Through the identification and discussion of these differences, it is easier to draw connections with the themes that have been covered in the unit. This way, better insight is gained, with regards to the events that happened in this period, and the ability of both writers to convey information. One…show more content…
The major way through which this happens is through the exploitation of the majority, by an elite minority. It is not right to say that Zinn represents a lot of negativity in his work. What Zinn did is that he was not afraid of saying the plain truths. The stories, which were previously ignored, have been included in his work. He had tried to show the faults and the negative sides of America, throughout history. This truthful nature has made his book a favorite for many high schools and colleges in the US. The major way in which Zinn brings out division is through explanation of worker’s conditions. He states that the minority elite own the biggest companies. They exploit the majority with low salaries and poor working conditions.
This divides society into social classes, preventing unity.
To some extent, Zinn also talks about politics and government, when he explains how people should change. However, the people who he takes to be in power are the elite society of America. In writing this book, the major aim, for Zinn, was to set a quiet revolution. This meant that he would point out ills in the society, to create initiative in Americans, to take power in their own hands. He explains that workers have the power to decide and dictate the working conditions under which they are subjected. In so doing, he expects that the gap
between
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