the 1950’s: an era of fear. the cold war a state of political tension and military rivalry...
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The 1950’s:The 1950’s:An Era of FearAn Era of Fear
The Cold WarThe Cold War A state of political tension and military rivalry A state of political tension and military rivalry
between nations between nations Hot war = soldiers guns and battlesHot war = soldiers guns and battles Cold War = embargos, spies, no diplomacy, lots Cold War = embargos, spies, no diplomacy, lots
of threatsof threats Stops short of full-scale warStops short of full-scale war
Example: Tension between the United States Example: Tension between the United States and Soviet Union following World War IIand Soviet Union following World War II. .
United States HistoryUnited States History 22ndnd Red Scare Red Scare
1947-19571947-1957 Increased fear of spying by Communists Increased fear of spying by Communists
(think: an-american ideals)(think: an-american ideals) Heightened Soviet Oppression and Heightened Soviet Oppression and
international tensioninternational tension Fears spurred aggressive action in US:Fears spurred aggressive action in US:
• Red-baiting, blacklisting, jailing and deportation of Red-baiting, blacklisting, jailing and deportation of people suspected of following Communist or other people suspected of following Communist or other left-wing ideologyleft-wing ideology
Joseph McCarthy/McCarthy eraJoseph McCarthy/McCarthy era Joseph Raymond McCarthyJoseph Raymond McCarthy
Republican U.S. Senator from Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957.
Beginning in 1950, the most visible face of extreme anti-communist suspicion.
Claimed that large numbers of Communists, Soviets spies and sympathizers hid inside the federal government and elsewhere.
• Caused lots of people to be unjustly fired, their reputations and lives ruined by others’ fear
McCarthy Cont’dMcCarthy Cont’d McCarthy's tactics and inability to
substantiate claims led to being discredited and censured by the United States Senate. • America upset that he made them look
ugly and afraid of their own shadow for no good reason
The term "McCarthyism," coined in 1950 in reference to McCarthy's practices, was applied to similar anti-communist pursuits. • Applied to people who try to scare
others for their own benefit
Hollywood Blacklisting/BlackballingHollywood Blacklisting/Blackballing
Hollywood blacklist: Hollywood blacklist: mid-twentieth-century list of screenwriters, actors, mid-twentieth-century list of screenwriters, actors,
directors, musicians, and other U.S. entertainment directors, musicians, and other U.S. entertainment professionals denied employment in the field professionals denied employment in the field because of their political beliefs or associations, because of their political beliefs or associations, real or suspected. real or suspected. • People fired and lives ruined. People fired and lives ruined. • Affected arts and education for several yearsAffected arts and education for several years
Hollywood Blacklisting/BlackballingHollywood Blacklisting/Blackballing
Artists barred from work on the basis of:Artists barred from work on the basis of: Alleged membership in or sympathy toward the Alleged membership in or sympathy toward the
American Communist Party,American Communist Party, Involvement in liberal or simply humanitarian Involvement in liberal or simply humanitarian
political causes associated with communismpolitical causes associated with communism Refusal to assist federal investigations into Refusal to assist federal investigations into
Communist Party activitiesCommunist Party activities Their names came up at the wrong place and time. Their names came up at the wrong place and time. Sound familiar? Sound familiar?
T.V.T.V. In the 1950's, television became In the 1950's, television became the dominant mass media the dominant mass media
In the early fifties, young people In the early fifties, young people watched TV more hours than they watched TV more hours than they went to school, went to school, A trend which has not changed A trend which has not changed
greatly! greatly! Television images accepted as Television images accepted as
“true” “true” Ideal family, ideal schools and Ideal family, ideal schools and
neighborhoods, the world, were all neighborhoods, the world, were all which had only partial basis in which had only partial basis in reality. reality.
People began to accept what was People began to accept what was heard and seen on television heard and seen on television because they were "eye because they were "eye witnesses" to events as never witnesses" to events as never before (live TV) . before (live TV) .
DystopiaDystopia
Utopia: A perfect world always getting better
Dystopia: an imperfect world in the process of becoming worse.
Dystopian society: a state in which the conditions of life are extremely bad, characterized by human misery, poverty, oppression, dictatorship, anarchy, violence, disease, and/or pollution.
Dystopian NovelsDystopian Novels
Books that highlight the problems of society in order to provoke social change
Fahrenheit 451 highlights: Over-reliance on technology Shrinking attention spans Lack of concern for others
May or may not pretend to be “good” Starts of with “good intentions” but a fatal
flaw or destroys or twists attempts at making things better
Ray Douglas Bradbury and F451Ray Douglas Bradbury and F451
Ray Douglas BradburyRay Douglas Bradbury born August 22, 1920 born August 22, 1920 American literary, fantasy, horror, science American literary, fantasy, horror, science
fiction, and mystery writer fiction, and mystery writer Considered to be one of the greatest and Considered to be one of the greatest and
most popular American writers of speculative most popular American writers of speculative fiction of the twentieth century.fiction of the twentieth century.
Still alive today! Still alive today!
Ray Douglas Bradbury and F451Ray Douglas Bradbury and F451
Fahrenheit 451 (p. 1953)Fahrenheit 451 (p. 1953) SettingSetting
Sometime in 21Sometime in 21stst Century Century Unspecified U.S. cityUnspecified U.S. city
Point of ViewPoint of View 33rdrd Person, limited omniscient Person, limited omniscient
NarratorNarrator Guy Montag (protagonist)Guy Montag (protagonist)
Works CitedWorks Cited
http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/decade50.htmlhttp://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/decade50.html#tv#tv
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/13216/a_womans_role_in_the_1950s.html3216/a_womans_role_in_the_1950s.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wikihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki http://www.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/http://www.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/
early-civilrights/brown.htmlearly-civilrights/brown.html