Out of the Dust is narrated in first person. Billie Jo Kelby, the protagonist and main character, describes her life from the winter of 1934 through the fall of 1935. Hesse, the author, shows the harsh reality of the Oklahoma Panhandle during the Great Depression. The Oklahoma Panhandle is located in the southwestern Great Plains region of the United States and was known as the Dust Bowl. During the 1920s and 1930s, farmers plowed up grasslands to plant wheat. But then drought came leading to violent dust storms that hit the area and caused soil erosion. The farmers and their families suffered poverty all across the Great Plains.
When Billie Jo is 14 years old, Out of the Dust begins. She lives during the Great Depression of the 1930s with her mother and father. Billie Jo and her parents struggle to make the best of a hard situation. But they still try to live their lives as normal as they can. Her father is a wheat farmer and works on the farm with her mother who spends most of her time cleaning their house. Billie Jo's mother is pregnant and the baby's arrival is an event that her family has been very excited for.
Billie is able to attend school normally and is the top 8th grade student in the state of Oklahoma, according to a statewide test. Her best friend Livvie leaves the Dust Bowl and moves to California with her family. Rabbits are killed because they are eating farmers' crops, the only food left to eat. That shows the harsh living conditions of the great depression. Billie loves to play the piano. Her mother taught her to play when Billie was five years old.
When the music teacher named Arley Wanderdale, who teaches at Billie Jo's school, asks her to play the piano at the Palace Theatre with his band, she feels like she's in heaven. For Billie there is nothing better than playing the piano while the audience goes along with the rhythm to make her feel like her music is alive. After a while Arley asks Billie to travel to neighboring towns with him and the "Black Mesa Boys" during the summer months. Billie Jo's mother agrees to let her go because she will be supervised by Arley's wife and will be earning a little money. That is something Billie Jo's family desperately needs and this looks like a great opportunity.
All the sudden Billie Jo's life changes tragically as a result of a horrible accident. Out of her fathers mistake, the house catches fire. Her mother runs outside to get her father, and Billie Jo throws the flaming pail (which caused the fire) of kerosene out the door. It hits her mother who suffers from severe burns. Months later she dies giving birth to a boy a month later. The baby only lives a few days, and Billie Jo names her dead brother Franklin who is buried in his mother's arms.
Billie feels guilty for her mother and baby brother and is in pain emotionally and physically. She blames her father as well as herself and is angry with him causing the fire in the first place. Wanting to redeem herself, Billie Jo takes over her mother's chores but her hands are burned so badly which forces her away from playing the piano. Billie Jo's father becomes depressed and withdrawn leaving Billie Jo behind; they become strangers but are living in the same house. Weeks later he takes a job working long hours for Wireless Power. As time passes the dust storms and the aftermath are a continuous occurrence. Most people feel sorry for Billie Jo because she is motherless and has few friends. She loves her dog because he doesn't treat her as just a victim but rather for who she is.
She hears about a talent contest hosted in the Palace Theatre and decides to participate. She only plays on the piano at school, unable to be around her mother's piano simply because she had to much guilt. At the contest Billie plays her heart out and wins third prize. Sadly her hands are overwhelmed with pain. Billie Jo tries to play the piano again but it hurts too much and she feels like a cripple. Her father begins to take classes at night in case they have to leave the farm. Billie Jo receives a letter from her Aunt inviting her to live in Lubbock, Texas.
She notices that her father has spots on his skin that look like skin cancer. Then she decides to leave before her father leaves her. Billie jumps on a freight train and travels in a boxcar to far away Flagstaff, Arizona. She takes the opportunity to get out of the Dust Bowl and never return. What she doesn't realize is that the "dust" traveled with her emotionally. She still feels grief and on her journey she realizes she has to forgive her father and forgive herself. After, she returns home with a great understanding of her father and herself. Billie Jo and her father start over in their relationship and become a family again. Her father meets Louise, a teacher, who becomes a special person in his life. Billie Jo realizes that love ind forgiving is the key and is able to accept Louise as part of their family.
Out of the dust was a moving book with an amazing message. That every struggle in life can be resolved in the end with love and forgiveness. It also showed the incredibly harsh conditions of the Dust Bowl.
~Ralf Neuschmied
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Friday, June 6, 2014
1950's article
First Organ Transplant(1950s)
The first person to ever have a transplant done was a 49 year old girl by the name of Ruth Tucker. Ruth suffered from polycystic kidneys and was in dire need of a new one. On June 17, 1950 at Little Company of Mary Hospital, history was made when surgeons performed the first vital organ transplant on Ruth. People gathered around to watch as one of the most important steps in human medical/technical history unfolded. while filming, one pf the camera crew who was supposed to be recording fainted as he wasn't used to being exposed to such a gruesome environment.
Sources: http://www.donatelifeny.org/all-about-transplantation/organ-transplant-history/
http://lcmhealthnews.org/first-successful-organ-transplant-little-company-of-mary-1950/
http://www.kidney.org/transplantation/transaction/Milestones-Organ-Transplantation.cfm
Friday, May 9, 2014
"A Fierce Green Fire"
"A Fierce Green Fire" is a documentary about the massive environmental shift of the mid-late 20th century. It shows how the 1970's were a time when people were starting to realize their impact on earth and started to be mindful of their actions. Soon they realized the need for change; mutations and different diseases plagued innocent civilians and animals in their habitats. People became aware they need to be more careful of the environment. The movie gets an in depth looks at activism and people doing everything in their power to make progress towards a safer and healthier world. The movie discusses many of the previously unknown environmental hazards, like the Love Canal. Though it was tough, people realized if they came together they would be able to shift the course of history.
http://www.afiercegreenfire.com/
Japan ordered to immediately stop whaling in Antarctic as International Court of Justice rules program was not carried out for scientific purposes. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled Japan must immediately stop its whaling program in the Antarctic.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-31/ijc-japan-whaling-southern-ocean-scientific-research/5357416
A Greenpeace investigation has revealed that the European Union (EU) is actively subsidizing fishing operations in Spain and other places that are massively overfishing, and that have a history of bypassing regulatory protocols designed to protect fish stocks -- and the European authority is subsidizing this travesty with the use of taxpayer funds.
http://www.naturalnews.com/034130_illegal_fishing_Greenpeace.html
http://www.afiercegreenfire.com/
Japan ordered to immediately stop whaling in Antarctic as International Court of Justice rules program was not carried out for scientific purposes. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled Japan must immediately stop its whaling program in the Antarctic.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-31/ijc-japan-whaling-southern-ocean-scientific-research/5357416
A Greenpeace investigation has revealed that the European Union (EU) is actively subsidizing fishing operations in Spain and other places that are massively overfishing, and that have a history of bypassing regulatory protocols designed to protect fish stocks -- and the European authority is subsidizing this travesty with the use of taxpayer funds.
http://www.naturalnews.com/034130_illegal_fishing_Greenpeace.html
12-2
*Nimitz-commander of ther United States Navy in the Pacific, planned operations against Japanese navy, wanted to use the aircraft carriers against japan
*MacArthur- commander of the Philippines station for America, had Filipinos and Americans entreat to Bataan peninsula when attached by Japanese, 3 months later going to Australia under FDR's word
*Bataan- the peninsula where the American and Filipinos retreated to, surrendering about 4 months later after Pearl Harbor, 78,000 soldiers forced to walk 65 miles
*Doolittle raid- commander of the mission to bomb japan, 16 plains flew to Tokyo and dropped bombs on it
*Coral Sea-America intercepted the Japanese attempt to attack New Guinea, japan sunkLexington and damaged the Yorktown ship drastically, but US won battle
*Midway-japan attacked Midway june 4, 1942, but was intercepted by antiaircraft fire and many planes shot down too. Second round burning aircraft and/sinking Japanese
Afrika Korps- German forces in the German area, commanded by General Erwin Rommel
Erwin Rommel- commander of the Afrika Corps, nickname Desert Fox, brilliant leader
El Alamein-battle General Rommel had to retreat from
Patton- General of American forces captured Casablanca city
Casablanca- city captured by General George Patton
Kassarine Pass- Americans outnumbered and outfought by the Germans, 7,000 casualties, 200 tanks were lost
Convoy System-a system in which. Enchant ships travel with naval vessels for protection
Stalingrad- city that controlled the Volga River and major railroad junction, Germans wanted to capture city to stop Russia and Ukraine from getting trade and sources
*MacArthur- commander of the Philippines station for America, had Filipinos and Americans entreat to Bataan peninsula when attached by Japanese, 3 months later going to Australia under FDR's word
*Bataan- the peninsula where the American and Filipinos retreated to, surrendering about 4 months later after Pearl Harbor, 78,000 soldiers forced to walk 65 miles
*Doolittle raid- commander of the mission to bomb japan, 16 plains flew to Tokyo and dropped bombs on it
*Coral Sea-America intercepted the Japanese attempt to attack New Guinea, japan sunkLexington and damaged the Yorktown ship drastically, but US won battle
*Midway-japan attacked Midway june 4, 1942, but was intercepted by antiaircraft fire and many planes shot down too. Second round burning aircraft and/sinking Japanese
Afrika Korps- German forces in the German area, commanded by General Erwin Rommel
Erwin Rommel- commander of the Afrika Corps, nickname Desert Fox, brilliant leader
El Alamein-battle General Rommel had to retreat from
Patton- General of American forces captured Casablanca city
Casablanca- city captured by General George Patton
Kassarine Pass- Americans outnumbered and outfought by the Germans, 7,000 casualties, 200 tanks were lost
Convoy System-a system in which. Enchant ships travel with naval vessels for protection
Stalingrad- city that controlled the Volga River and major railroad junction, Germans wanted to capture city to stop Russia and Ukraine from getting trade and sources
Monday, April 14, 2014
V2 Rocket
V2 Rocket :
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The A-4, later called the V-2, was a single-stage rocket fueled by alcohol and liquid oxygen. It stood 46.1 feet high and had a thrust of 56,000 pounds. The A-4 had a payload capacity of 2,200 pounds and could reach a velocity of 3,500 miles per hour. On October 3, 1942 the A-4 was first launched from Peenemunde. Breaking the sound barrier, it reached an altitude of sixty miles. It was the world's first launch of a ballistic missile and the first rocket ever to go into the fringes of space. In 1943 Hitler decided to use the A-4 as a "vengeance weapon," and the group found themselves developing the A-4 to rain explosives on London. Fourteen months after Hitler ordered it into production, the first combat A-4, now called the V-2, was launched toward western Europe on September 7, 1944. The V-2s were constructed at the Mittelwerk site by prisoners from Mittlebrau-Dora. Mittlebrau-Dora was a concentration camp where an estimated 20,000 prisoners died during the war. An estimated 2,754 civilians were killed in London by V-2 attacks with another 6,523 injured. This means there were two people killed per V-2 rocket. The V-1 and V-2 Rockets cost an estimated $3 billion in wartime dollars. About 2100 rockets were built. Highly interested in the weapon, both American and Soviet forces scrambled to capture existing V-2 rockets and parts at the end of the war. In the conflict's final days, von Braun and Dornberger surrendered to American troops and assisted in further testing the missile before coming to the United States.
Sources: http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=894
http://video.pbs.org/video/2365052459/
http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/v2.htm
Radio Hour
The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fights injustice in the American old west. with his Indian friend, Tonot. The character has become an enduring icon of American culture.He first appeared in 1933 in a radio show conceived either by WXZY (Detroit) radio station owner gorge W. Trendal.The Lone Ranger is so named because the character is the last survivor of a group of Texas rangers, rather than because he works alone (as he is usually accompanied by Tonto).
The 1920s has been called the Golden Age of American Sports. It also has been called the Age of the Spectator.The United States had a strong economy for most of that decade.
Advertising Advertising as it is known today finds its roots in the industrial expansion of the 1880s. The mass production and the lowering of prices on consumer goods meant that more items were available to more people than ever before. The construction of the transcontinental railroads provided a national market for a company's goods.
(My section) News In response to requests from website visitors, the HPLHS is pleased to make available genuine articles from 1920s newspapers, transcribed directly from vintage copies, for use by gamers who wish to make their own prop newspaper clippings.
Great Depression Outline
I Intro:
The Great Depression was one of the hardest periods of history. Though the whole world was impacted, America was affected the most. Between extreme poverty and insane unemployment rates, people were having a tough time surviving the hardships of the great depression.
II Causes - The causes of the great depression were the 1929 Stock Market Crash, bank failures, and drought conditions
A) Over speculation: Before the Great Depression, there were very few regulations on the Stock Market. Because of this, investors were able to buy a ton of stocks with money that they didn't have. When the stock market started to crash, people tried to sell all of their stocks, but it was too late and everything lost its value.
B) Government Policy: The government had bad policies on taxes that dealt with income and imports. In 1929, they increased interest rates from 3.5% to 5%, which some believe caused the Great Depression. The money supply fell by over 30% during the great depression.
C) Unstable Economy: There was an uneven distribution of wealth in America , with some people being extremely rich and some people being extremely poor. This led America into the Great Depression, because the economy was unstable.
1) Uneven prosperity: The time before the Great Depression, was a time of false prosperity. America was overdependent on production, which created a very unbalanced economy. 60% of people were below the poverty line, while the richest 5% of the population account for 33% of Americas wealth.
2) Overproduction: Owners of large companies felt invincible so they decided to produce a more and more goods because they believed that consumers would buy them. Most consumers didn't have enough money to do that though, which led to a massive overproduction of goods because they didn't sell.
3) worker issues / farm issues: Both workers and farms had been very prosperous in the early 20's. Farms were producing lots of food, and there were many jobs that needed to be filled. Once Farms started being less important though, many people lost their jobs and America began to sink into the depression.
III Effects
A) Poverty: Over 60% of people were below the poverty line before the great depression. Then that number rose even higher during the depression, because no one had any jobs. It was an all around bad situation.
B) Society: Music played a huge role in society during the depression, and helped keep peoples spirits up. Jazz was especially popular, and it helped people to momentarily forget about their tough life.
C) World: The world was still recovering from WW1, and trying to repair all of the damage. There had been so many casualties during the war, that many people no longer had complete families with a dad/husband. Because of this, many families lacked a "money earner" and so many people became very poor.
IV Solutions
A) Hoover: 31st president of the US. He creates the public works, which built the Hoover dam. He implemented limited relief programs that gave money directly to those in need.He also bailed out some banks.
1) Volunteerism: This was part of Hoovers plan to raise money during the Great Depression. His goal was to jumpstart the economy, and get things rolling again.
2) Public Works: The Public Works Administration was part of the New Deal, in resonse to the great depression. It did things like build dams and hospitals in hopes of improving the economy.
3) Hawley Smoot: This was a tariff created in June of 1930 that raised tariffs to historically high levels. It was created to help protect farmers from agricultural imports.
4) RFC: Reconstruction Finance Corporation- Agency created by US Government to help banks after the Great Depression.
B) Roosevelt: Franklin Roosevelt was the 32nd President of the United States. He led the US Through the Great Depression, and was generally liked by the people.
1 new deal) Social Security Act: This act established a system that provided old-age pensions for workers, survivors benefits for victims of industrial accidents, unemployment insurance, and aid for dependent mothers and children, the blind and physically disabled.
a) alphabet soup)
example: CCC (Civilian Conservation Corporation)- a work relief program to help people find work.
example: FHA (Federal Housing Administration)- regulated housing conditions and mortgages.
example: NRA (National Recovery Act)- designed to brings the interests of working-class Americans and large-scale businesses together.
example: WPA (Works Progress Administration)- This was the largest New Deal Agency. It created many jobs for Americans, by putting them to work on roads, buildings, and other large projects that benefited all of society.
b) Criticsim: Conservatives thought that Roosevelt was spending too much money and thought thought he was abusing the governments power by becoming too involved. Liberals thought that Roosevelt was not doing enough to help the economy and that he needed to spend more money.
2) 2nd new deal: During the second new deal, there was stronger emphasis on social reform than the first.
a) Deficit spending-abandoned a balanced budget and borrowed money to pay for things.
b) WPA- Works Progress Administration Gave people jobs constructing highways, buildings, and parks.
c) Social Security Act provided security for elderly and unemployed Americans.
V) Criticism: Criticism was coming from everywhere as people were having an extremely hard time agreeing with each other.
B) Political Criticism: Came from both the democrats and the conservatives
A) Conservatives: Believed that too much money was being spent. They didn't want the government to help people out very much either. The conservatives were typically the richer people, who didn't suffer as much during the Great Depression.
B) Liberals: Believed that there was not enough money being spent, and the government should do more to help the poorer people in society.
VI Effectiveness: Though the Great Depression was a time of hardships physically and mentally, America gained a strength as a country that had perviously been lacking.
A) Changes in US: The governments role in the country really changed after the great depression, because it became way more involved. New policies changed the US in a good way.
B) Unions: Unions began to stand up for themselves, because they realized that they can make a difference in their country. They engaged in sit down strikes, where workers stopped working but didn't leave the building. This prevented owners from simply bringing in more workers.
C) Culture: The cultural experience in America seemed to grow after the depression, because people realized that they have to work together in order to make things happen. Music and art also came to life as it was more popular; it made people forget about their hardships for awhile.
VII Conclusion:
The Great Depressions legacy will last forever. It was a time of hardships but people learned to work together in order to get through tough times. It's a mistake we all learned from so hopefully this won't happen again anywhere in the near future.
The Great Depression was one of the hardest periods of history. Though the whole world was impacted, America was affected the most. Between extreme poverty and insane unemployment rates, people were having a tough time surviving the hardships of the great depression.
II Causes - The causes of the great depression were the 1929 Stock Market Crash, bank failures, and drought conditions
A) Over speculation: Before the Great Depression, there were very few regulations on the Stock Market. Because of this, investors were able to buy a ton of stocks with money that they didn't have. When the stock market started to crash, people tried to sell all of their stocks, but it was too late and everything lost its value.
B) Government Policy: The government had bad policies on taxes that dealt with income and imports. In 1929, they increased interest rates from 3.5% to 5%, which some believe caused the Great Depression. The money supply fell by over 30% during the great depression.
C) Unstable Economy: There was an uneven distribution of wealth in America , with some people being extremely rich and some people being extremely poor. This led America into the Great Depression, because the economy was unstable.
1) Uneven prosperity: The time before the Great Depression, was a time of false prosperity. America was overdependent on production, which created a very unbalanced economy. 60% of people were below the poverty line, while the richest 5% of the population account for 33% of Americas wealth.
2) Overproduction: Owners of large companies felt invincible so they decided to produce a more and more goods because they believed that consumers would buy them. Most consumers didn't have enough money to do that though, which led to a massive overproduction of goods because they didn't sell.
3) worker issues / farm issues: Both workers and farms had been very prosperous in the early 20's. Farms were producing lots of food, and there were many jobs that needed to be filled. Once Farms started being less important though, many people lost their jobs and America began to sink into the depression.
III Effects
A) Poverty: Over 60% of people were below the poverty line before the great depression. Then that number rose even higher during the depression, because no one had any jobs. It was an all around bad situation.
B) Society: Music played a huge role in society during the depression, and helped keep peoples spirits up. Jazz was especially popular, and it helped people to momentarily forget about their tough life.
C) World: The world was still recovering from WW1, and trying to repair all of the damage. There had been so many casualties during the war, that many people no longer had complete families with a dad/husband. Because of this, many families lacked a "money earner" and so many people became very poor.
IV Solutions
A) Hoover: 31st president of the US. He creates the public works, which built the Hoover dam. He implemented limited relief programs that gave money directly to those in need.He also bailed out some banks.
1) Volunteerism: This was part of Hoovers plan to raise money during the Great Depression. His goal was to jumpstart the economy, and get things rolling again.
2) Public Works: The Public Works Administration was part of the New Deal, in resonse to the great depression. It did things like build dams and hospitals in hopes of improving the economy.
3) Hawley Smoot: This was a tariff created in June of 1930 that raised tariffs to historically high levels. It was created to help protect farmers from agricultural imports.
4) RFC: Reconstruction Finance Corporation- Agency created by US Government to help banks after the Great Depression.
B) Roosevelt: Franklin Roosevelt was the 32nd President of the United States. He led the US Through the Great Depression, and was generally liked by the people.
1 new deal) Social Security Act: This act established a system that provided old-age pensions for workers, survivors benefits for victims of industrial accidents, unemployment insurance, and aid for dependent mothers and children, the blind and physically disabled.
a) alphabet soup)
example: CCC (Civilian Conservation Corporation)- a work relief program to help people find work.
example: FHA (Federal Housing Administration)- regulated housing conditions and mortgages.
example: NRA (National Recovery Act)- designed to brings the interests of working-class Americans and large-scale businesses together.
example: WPA (Works Progress Administration)- This was the largest New Deal Agency. It created many jobs for Americans, by putting them to work on roads, buildings, and other large projects that benefited all of society.
b) Criticsim: Conservatives thought that Roosevelt was spending too much money and thought thought he was abusing the governments power by becoming too involved. Liberals thought that Roosevelt was not doing enough to help the economy and that he needed to spend more money.
2) 2nd new deal: During the second new deal, there was stronger emphasis on social reform than the first.
a) Deficit spending-abandoned a balanced budget and borrowed money to pay for things.
b) WPA- Works Progress Administration Gave people jobs constructing highways, buildings, and parks.
c) Social Security Act provided security for elderly and unemployed Americans.
V) Criticism: Criticism was coming from everywhere as people were having an extremely hard time agreeing with each other.
B) Political Criticism: Came from both the democrats and the conservatives
A) Conservatives: Believed that too much money was being spent. They didn't want the government to help people out very much either. The conservatives were typically the richer people, who didn't suffer as much during the Great Depression.
B) Liberals: Believed that there was not enough money being spent, and the government should do more to help the poorer people in society.
VI Effectiveness: Though the Great Depression was a time of hardships physically and mentally, America gained a strength as a country that had perviously been lacking.
A) Changes in US: The governments role in the country really changed after the great depression, because it became way more involved. New policies changed the US in a good way.
B) Unions: Unions began to stand up for themselves, because they realized that they can make a difference in their country. They engaged in sit down strikes, where workers stopped working but didn't leave the building. This prevented owners from simply bringing in more workers.
C) Culture: The cultural experience in America seemed to grow after the depression, because people realized that they have to work together in order to make things happen. Music and art also came to life as it was more popular; it made people forget about their hardships for awhile.
VII Conclusion:
The Great Depressions legacy will last forever. It was a time of hardships but people learned to work together in order to get through tough times. It's a mistake we all learned from so hopefully this won't happen again anywhere in the near future.
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