Wiki for Dr. McClurkens Courses

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You should do a total of 2-3 comments/questions/observations this week.  You do not need to post to all areas. -- Dr. McClurken

====== I.	How does this movie work as a secondary source? What does the movie get right about history?  ======

For the most part, especially compared to other films we have watched this semester, //The Best Years of Our Lives// does a fairly decent job as a secondary source. It portrayed the struggle that veterans returning from World War II had when trying to find work, specifically in the case of Fred who had to return to his job as a soda jerk. Throughout the movie, he struggles to re-adapt to civilian life, and later, he loses his job due to having a physical altercation with a customer.

I think this film would work as a great way to give examples of how veterans struggle to adjust to civilian life after being in combat, and can certainly work as a way of showing how WW2 vets had trouble adjusting to civilian life after such a long period of warfare. It can also give good insight into how disabled veterans adjust back into civilian life and the kind of emotions and complications that come from it. However it feels like the story and history work together really well and the film would be an effective primary source.-- AJ DeGeorge

The portrayal of Homer was done well too in my opinion. This is a character who also tries to re-adapt to civilian life, but also learns to live without hands. He portrays the mentality of wanting to be as self-sufficient as possible, but is judged as an individual who needs help with daily tasks. I think what helped in his portrayal is having Harold Russell portray him, who was a World War II vet who lost his hands. -- Jordan Petty

I think that this works really well as a secondary source. It does a good job of showing some of the things that the veterans would have gone through coming back from the war, from PTSD and job hunting, to getting to know their families again. Homers character was also a good look into what a soldier coming back with a disability would have gone through with his anxiety of coming home, seeing his family and girlfriend and having them see him, getting married, and going through everyday life. The added mention of certain public opinions was also true to the time, such as views on the war and the veterans, the concern about a depression, and the concern about veterans taking jobs, were all common concerns among the public. Overall this movie would make a good secondary source to talk about the climate of the post World War pre Cold War time and environment that the soldiers returned to. --Kimberly Sak

//The Best Years of Our Lives// does a great job at portraying the life of veterans and post-war issues. I really like that the film doesn't make the men seem like absurd, fanatical people, rather they portray them as every day men who suffered after the war. The fear that Homer feels after considering what Wilma will say about his hands is a real thing that people felt after the war. The emotional trauma is a very real effect of veterans, past and present. I think that this film is a great secondary source that shows the trauma and struggles of veterans, like getting a job and meeting women. --Tara Scroggins

I believe// The Best Years of Our Lives// does a fairly good job as a secondary source of what life was like for veterans post-WWII. It is not an overly optimistic view of life post-war, which is something I appreciated. It tried to be realistic in many ways. Life for veterans post-war wasn't all sunshine and daisies. Fred Derry, Homer Parrish, and Al Stephenson each face their own problems. Fred comes home to find his wife has moved on without so  much as writing a "Dear John" letter to him. Fred also suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, having nightmares from his time as a bombardier. Moreover his place of employment changed hands and, much life was cover in the lecture, didn't guarantee him his job back. Homer lost his hands while in the navy and now uses hooks in his everyday life. I initially scoffed at this in the movie, but they use it on-screen very well to portray how war effected disabled veterans in their civilian lives. It effected both Homer and his family, who all suddenly are consciously about their own hands now that Homer doesn't have his. This obviously frustrates Homer, who doesn't want to be viewed as an invalid. Al comes home to find his family are not the same as he left them. His wife works, his daughter cooks and cleans, and his son tries discussing the ramifications of and nuclear power and the similarities between American and Japanese cultures. Alcoholism is a topic covered in the movie, as a means of coping. However, the excess to which Al and Fred use it extends from the idea of their tough transition into civilian life once again. They each face problems associated with the workforce, and don't necessarily find happiness. The movie is like a slap to the face compared to other happy ending stories we've seen, which is refreshing in a way. While is does end on a nauseatingly happy note, //The Best Years of Our Lives// does do a good job portraying the struggles faced by veterans. For that reason I think it is a good secondary source, despite it having a few issues as well. -- Lyndsey Clark

I think //The Best Years of Our Lives// works as a great secondary source when looking at the lives of World War II veterans with their struggles and issues when coming home from the war. The world that these men are coming home to has changed while they were away and we can definitely see that in terms of how the relationship these men had with their loved ones has come to change. In the case of Fred Derry, his wife had to find a job at the nightclub and this caused her to become more distant from him. Her job at this nightclub caused her to seek out other men who were much richer than she was in order to make herself happy. With Homer Parrish, due to him losing his hands in the war, he was very apprehensive to get close with his girlfriend Wilma again. He didn't think she would want him without his hands so he tried to completely avoid the topic of romance with her altogether. He was not willing to actually talk through his issues with her and work them out. In the case of Al Stephenson, he was in dismay when he came home to his family. He felt that he had missed out on a lot in his children's lives and didn't really know them as well as he thought when he left for the war. -Lauren Simpson

As a quick look at some of the probable issues endured by returning veterans the film, Best years of our lives, has some use to show reality in a larger way than any book, but as a secondary source it would never do. The film uses the three veterans to present different troubles endured and present to an extent. The character of Al feels out of place in his own home, uncomfortable with his physical changes and the culture of the time which has advanced in ideas without him as is presented by his son who speaks of Atomic power and his daughter who works. Fred is a returning hero who returns to poverty despite doing well for himself in the service. Furthermore, nightmares and what seems to be PTSD haunt him a handful of times during the runtime as he seems unable to fully leave his experiences behind him. Homer returns from the war forever physically changed as he has lost his arms and is forced to face his own fears and anger over his physical limitations. The characters are a small look into the issues endured by the veterans of WW2. Beyond the characters, the film includes prevalent fears within society over the ideas of a postwar economic depression, the availability of jobs being hindered by the returning veterans, and the shift in enemies toward the mounting Red menace and use of atomics. Finally, the film does dip its toes in some of the issues of veterans getting home after the war. While it does not explore the troubles which the reading did, the film none the less showcased how the veterans were relegated to a less than pristine military managed air service that used retired planes while business men could acquire their rides without a care. Overall the film fails to look deep into the issues of the postwar nation but it does give some ideas of the period and give a quick look at a much larger social issue than the film could have room to fully explore. -Robert Keitz
  
 This film did a good job of portraying many of the struggles WWII veterans faced during their return home. The film showed the fear that other people had about veterans taking their jobs, it also showed a little bit of how the role of women shifted during the war through characters like Peggy, who had to take on more responsibilities when their fathers went away. As well the actor who played Homer actually lost his arms during WWII, so I found it really interesting the directors decided to have Homer's character and have an actual veteran take on the role. --Helen Dhue 
 
I think the film did a decent job for what they were trying to portray. From the very beginning you got the feeling that it was strange and hard for those men returning home. It is as if the culture that we have today in terms of respecting the troops and thanking them for their service hadn't fully developed yet. This was apparent in one of the opening scenes as Fred was trying to get a plane ticket and the pompous rich man steps in front of him and gets his tickets that he reserved. At the same time one example of admiration for the troops that they did show in this movie was Fred's wife making him wear his uniform to show him off. Essentially she was just using him at that point. Another important thing the movie displayed properly was the reaction of civilians towards the veterans looking for jobs. When Fred went back to the store you could tell the Floor Manager didn't exactly want him back. Another thing I was fairly surprised by was that was Homer was actually played by a World War II veteran in Harold Russell. His story was particularly interesting because you certainly felt sorry for him as he didn't face the best reaction from family members. Overall this film is a decent starting point for someone looking into researching what post WWII America was like for those returning home. - Dan Dilks

Based on the lecture videos The Best Years of Our Lives is a great secondary source for the period after WWII. Even though the three men, Fred, Al, and Homer, were fictional characters the stories and backgrounds were accurate to the time period. Al represented the older generation that fought in WWII who returned home to a wife and older kids. I think the portrayal of him struggling to fit in with his family again is accurately portrayed. For Fred, his character represents the younger generation who rushed into marriage before leaving for war. Since he and his wife didn’t know each other well before the war there marriage fell apart. This made him fit in with the half-million soldiers who got divorced after returning home from the war. Additionally, Fred represents the soldiers that struggled to adjust when returning home because his character suffered from what we know as PTSD or what they would have considered “shell shock.” Finally, Homer’s character represents the young disabled veteran who returned home to a family and a “sweetheart.” His character was realistic because the actor who played him was an injured WWII veteran.

Another reason this film works as a secondary source is that it shows women adjusting to life after WWII. For example, Al’s wife Milly and daughter represent women who went to work while their husband/father was away. Now that Al is back they can kind of return to a normal life. Another film that represents working women is Fred’s wife Marie. -Megan Williams

//The Best Years of Our Lives// works fairly well as a secondary source. I feel like there are a ton of movies made about World War Two, as well as other war-related films, but very rarely are films made depicting what happens after the war, when everyone goes home. Three different Veteran perspective, each coming from different economic backgrounds, the film shows how difficult it was to reenter the workforce after World War Two. Especially Fred, who had to go back to his rather low paying job as a soda jerk, which he had before the war. Al’s drunk speech at the banquet also feels indicative of the time, as after the war it seemed like America had no idea what to do with all these servicemen who were dealing with severe cases of PTSD. --Cat Kinde
====== II.	Problems with historical accuracy? Errors in fact? ======

I think overall, this movie captures the time period of post World War II in a fairly accurate way. The only issue that bothered me throughout the movie, was the way that everyone surrounding Homer immediately welcomed him back and never questioned him. But, in reality, I feel like there would be push back from Wilma’s family as they would have doubts regarding his ability to provide for her. Reflecting off how America has felt and treated people who do have disabilities, I feel like this isn’t the most accurate depiction of what could have happened to servicemen or women when they did return to the states. - Kaylee Williams

As the film is built around crafted characters in a fictional drama, the events presented should be looked at by the norms of the period, probability of the events, and what the film chooses to show and what it has chosen to ignore. In the opening scenes of the film during which we meet the main characters we will follow the film showcases a rundown crowded building filled with service men who lack the historical racial diversity that would have been present. Furthermore, despite the drastic social changes present within society the film ignores the festering resentment and greater depths of troubles endured by the veterans. The film would seem to have a far too optimistic look at the issues as the three characters by the end have secured their positions and adjusted to society without too much issue or further turbulence other than a slight dip into the pain. The suffering and troubles of the veterans is quickly solved or faded away as the adeptly return to civilian life with positions greater than when they left. -Robert Keitz

I felt as though the film underrepresented a large portion of veterans, in the lecture it was discussed that there were many Black, Native American, and Japanese veterans. I also felt like the women in the movie were a little misrepresented, as WWII was a "total war" and didn't just involve the efforts of White men. --Helen Dhue

Like Helen's post above...An error that film had was the fact that they didn’t incorporate an African American WWII veteran’s perspective. In fact, there was probably only one African American character in this entire film. I feel like that's a major error when looking at this film as a secondary source. -Megan Williams

====== III.	How does the film’s overall interpretation(s) deviate from scholarly historical sources? ======

As both discussed in class and in this Library of Congress timeline, American life after World War II put many people in new, unique situations. Many Americans were predicting a return of an economic state similar to that of the Great Depression because men were returning home flooding the job market and the end of the wartime economy which meant less of a demand for production, therefore, eliminating some manufacturing jobs. However, the wartime manufacturing boom allowed families to grow and actually be really successful in the long term, which is not something that is really displayed in this movie. Fred gets a job at the end of the movie that he was struggling to find and hold and Al returns to the job he once had, but as alluded to at the beginning of the movie that family used to have a maid and they don’t anymore show how they dropped in socioeconomic status during the war. This movie does not directly touch on the economic prosperity seen following the war however this is likely because it was made so close to the event itself it doesn’t have the opportunity to have a more accurate perspective.

https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/post-war-united-states-1945-1968/overview/-Morgan Gilbert

====== IV.	How does this movie work as a primary source about the time period in which it was made or the filmmakers? ======

This film probably works better as a primary source than any other film we've watched this semester. The fact that it was released a year after V-J day and V-E day says a lot in regard to being a primary source. There was a lot of uncertainty about how America was going to function after the war, and there were fears of the economy reverting back to how it was in the thirties, and the film does a good job in portraying that.

The film also serves to bring director William Wyler into the spotlight. It makes sense that a film about World War II veterans was directed by someone like Wyler, who served as a major in the United States Army Air Forces and directed war films and documentaries like //Mrs. Miniver// and //The Memphis Belle//. -- Jordan Petty

I think the casting and directing choices, paired with the accuracy of the content and the timing of the release makes this a considerable primary source. The director and the actors made this movie a great source because of their familiarity with the topic, between the experiences of the veterans coming home, which some of the actors and director were, and the fears of a new economic depression, America really was going through the things that were portrayed in the movie as the movie was being made and released. I also think it is important to mention the absence of African American characters, except for the one assistant in the first few minutes, something not uncommon in the 40s. Overall the movie does a great job of showing the tension and uncertainty that America was feeling in the mid to late 1940s, making it a great primary and secondary source because it was made and released in the midst of the tension and uncertainty. --Kimberly Sak

The movie The Best Years of Our Lives could absolutely be used as a primary source regarding post-war America that servicemen faced. This movie focused on three main characters, from all different military war backgrounds and followed them through the struggles of returning to peacetime at home. As well as the fears and stressors that the American people were also experiencing with the return of the military members. I think this movie could be viewed as a primary source as this movie reflects the same time period that was happening around the movie's release date. -Kaylee Williams

Overall, I think that //The Best Years of Our Lives// portrayed the time period of World War II veterans coming back to civilian life in a pretty accurate way. The period when veterans were coming back home and getting settled into their civilian life was definitely struggling at times for them just as the characters portrayed in the movie. With the fears of an economic depression, they were trying to find jobs that they were able to do such as Al going back to his banking job and Fred not wanting to go back to being a soda jerk but he didn't really have any other options. This is definitely parallel to the post-war period because when veterans came back and were looking for jobs, the majority of them were either already filled or they refused to go back to their previous job. The movie does a great job of portraying the uncertainty and tension that America was going through in the mid to late 1940s. This is due to the movie being made during this uncertain time in the 1940s as the primary source. -Lauren Simpson

This film works really well as a primary source for the year in which it was made, 1946. It is really representative of what a lot of veterans came home to after the war from many different angles. It covers a veteran who is physically injured and his and his family’s adjustment to the new normal. PTSD was covered through Fred’s nightmares and dissociation while sitting in the nose of an old plan. The movie also covers the adjustment of women, not honey having their husbands back in their homes through Al and his family, but also their adjustment to leaving work and returning to being a housewife full time in many cases as seen in Fred’s wife. As Professor McClurken stated, many marriages ended in divorce because of the difficulty many people had with the readjustment of post-war life, and this is represented through Fred’s divorce. The only issue with this movie is that it only includes the white male and some white female perspective. -Morgan Gilbert

The Best Years of Our Lives is a great primary source for the postwar period. In my opinion, the acting was good and the different shots were impressive. It made me feel as if I stepped back into this period. This film is a good primary source for the life of Harold Russel, Homer Parrish, a real injured World War Two veteran cast to play this role even though he was not an actor before the war. The story of how Russel got this part is interesting because when the script was being developed his character was supposed to be suffering from Shell Shock. However, the director William Wyler felt “the role would be more effective if it was played by a real veteran.” Since Wyler was a veteran himself he knew of Russel and injuries because Russel had starred in the Diary of Sergeant, an army training film. It's interesting to note that in this film Russel no lines and Wyler took a chance on him to bring authenticity to this film. In my opinion, I think Russel did that. In fact, Russel ended up winning an Oscar for best-supporting actor and a special Oscar for wasn’t a “real” actor he ended up winning two Oscars for this film. This was historic because he wasn’t a real actor and according to one source he is the only person in Academy history to have won two awards for the same role! Additionally, he made history later in life by auctioning his best-supporting actor statuette for $60,500 to an anonymous buyer because he needed the money for his wife's medical bills. (https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/feb/06/guardianobituaries, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Russell, & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAQ3fubRn68) -Megan Williams

The movie captured the post-war period and the struggles veterans faced finding jobs, with drinking issues, operating with new disabilities. The film also shows the focus on white men in the 1940s. Although there were many more groups involved in the war, and the film started to touch on women on the homefront, but not women who served, the film also missed out on perspectives of Black, Japanese, and Indigenous Americans. Also, there was no mention of Japanese Americans, which I think showed how raw internment was and that Americans were not ready to confront their wrongdoings during the war.-- Helen Dhue

====== V. The "So, what?" question	======

What really makes this film stand out is the fact that it focuses on something that occurred just over a year after it was released. This film that focuses on veterans returning home from World War II was released in 1946, with the war ending in 1945. It's portrayal of the uncertainty about how America was going to function after the war was fairly accurate and the timing of its release almost makes the film simultaneously a primary and secondary source on the topic. The fact that it was directed by someone who served as a major in the U.S. Army Air Forces and also had a World War II veteran as part of its cast lends to the film's authenticity. While it does dramatize it's subject, it still offers a decent portrayal of American social life after the war.

Going further on the casting choice of Harold Russell as Homer Parrish, it should be important to point out that although he was not a professional actor, he was still nominated for an Oscar and won an Academy Honorary Award.

Bergan, Ronald. “Obituary: Harold Russell,” February 6, 2002. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/feb/06/guardianobituaries.  -- Jordan Petty

I think that this movie is important because of its release date and its accurate portrayal of life in the immediate aftermath of WWII. Between the significance of the casting and directing done for this movie, it is an important movie in the narrative of 1940s movies while the content of the movie and its accuracy makes this an important part of the narrative of movies about WWII and post WWII era. Even though certain things could be considered dramatized in the movie, it definitely encourages the audience to feel for the characters and does not exaggerate some of the things that the returning veterans must have been feeling coming back from the war making this important in understanding the social construction of post WWII life. --Kimberly Sak

The story being told here relies on some level of historical accuracy to be believable, however the history feels secondary to the actual story the film is trying to portray. The story it tells is timeless, veterans struggling to adjust after war is a problem we always face, and the story presented here could also be told from a modern perspective. Ultimately, so what if there are a few minute details the director didn't get right, or if these mens' stories are anecdotal rather than what happened to most men at the time? the film is still incredibly well made and does not claim to be a film about history nor is its job to educate people, the film is still heartwarming, entertaining, relatable and enjoyable. And, the film isn't blatantly inaccurate, it does its job of being realistic well enough, and for a story like this I believe that is good enough. ---AJ DeGeorge

As I mentioned before, //The Best Years of Our Lives// is a great resource for people who have experienced war and can relate to the characters. The film, while fairly old in production, is an important shift from typical older films that exaggerate the characters and make everything super happy. It shows the struggles that soldiers faced after coming home to things that weren't the same anymore. I think it is interesting to see how this will shift over time in the portrayal of veteran's lives in film. --Tara Scroggins

I think one of the reasons this movie is so important is because of the portrayal of Homer Parrish by Harold Russell. He was a real war veteran who lost both his hands and had them replaced by hooks. He wasn't an actor prior to this movie, but ended up winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role. By using someone who was disabled rather than taking a "big name" actor and making them appear disabled, (like Hollywood does for a lot of other films) it seem like the film makers really wanted to honestly portray disabled veterans. They could have had someone who lose a leg and just needed crutches rather than including the "scary" hooks that Russell has. But that's the visual reality of being a disabled veteran and they didn't try to sugarcoat it. -Madison Roberts

I think this movie is important because it is fully involved in the struggles faced by soldiers and veterans in a post-war environment. I am a huge fan of the TV show M*A*S*H, which features episodic plots that focus on issues similar to what we've seen in this film. PTSD, alcohol as a coping mechanism, GI Rights, officer privileges, etc. are all topics covered in M*A*S*H. The only difference is that the film is set post-war while the show takes place in the middle of war. The fact that this movie was made in 1946, just as these issues and fears were coming to light, makes it all the more important. I think it demonstrates a step forward in understanding what veterans face when trying to reintegrate into their civilian lives. They want things to pick up where they left off, but circumstances have changed just as they have a people. -- Lyndsey Clark

I think this movie is important because it shows a side of post WWII America that we aren't usually shown. You see the long lasting effects of the war on these men and just how hard it was for them to assimilate back into civilian life. Fred has PTSD and trouble finding a job. Homer was now handicap and looking to keeps his girl and adjust to his new life. Al was even confused at first if he was really even home that morning he woke up from drinking. I think this quote from our primary source by a disgruntled veteran said it best, "the widespread feeling that the war had produced good for the United States, with good defined as peoples abilities to buy new cars and refrigerator's". People seem to forget what was really is, no matter the out come there was death and there were atrocities. - Dan Dilks

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