Instructions: Below are two questions about different aspects of the history of the era from 1945 to 1960. Answer both essay questions using essay form (with an introduction, thesis statement, and conclusion). Your word count will vary, but each essay will probably take a minimum of 1000 words to do a good job. Please double-space with a 1" margin. Use examples from the readings, where appropriate, but remember to cite all quotations or paraphrases. A bibliography is not necessary, unless you are citing sources not used in the course. Use this style: (Hays, 16). Your essays are due in class on Thursday, February 19.
Essay #1: Write an essay explaining how the late 1940s and 1950s were both the product of one war--World War II--and shaped by another--the Cold War. After all, this era arose in the aftermath of a terrible war, while the threat of another, even more terrible war seemed never far away. In your essay, trace the development of these international events and connect them with developments in politics, society, and culture.
Essay #2: The stereotype of the 1950s is of a very orderly, contented, happy, almost innocent society. Write an essay evaluating this “Leave It To Beaver” image. To what degree did this image reflect reality? To what extent did it mask deeper problems or contradictions? That is, what sort of rebellion, social criticism, and protest existed within this “happy” society--who was unhappy, and why? Don’t forget that among dissenters to 1950s society were early environmentalists. Around what issues and problems did the early environmental movement coalesce? In other words, as conservationism evolved into environmentalism at this time, how did it fit the context of the times? What did it share with other critics?