Blog Assignment Number Seven

Doremus is a strong protagonist for the book, It Can't Happen Here. Throughout the constant struggle that the world is dealing with underneath the hands of Buzz Windrip, Doremus stays true to his word throughout the novel and is 100% against Buzz and his facist ways. He doesn't get sucked into Buzz's speeches that hallucinate the public.One defining moment that occurs with Doremus is when he publishes an editorial that is against Buzz Windrip. I believe this part in the novel shows just how brave Doremus is to defy the president of the United States. In one passage it states; "They were coming towards him, claws hideously opening and closing, but he did not await that coming. He clumped down the stairs, step by step, trembling not from fear but from insane anger." This passage shows that even when the Minute Men are after Doremus for the crime he "commits", he still doesn't show fear but instead anger. I believe this to be important because Doremus is willing to stand up to higher powers no matter what the consequences may be. Even with his family constantly telling him to withdraw from any efforts towards the government, he continues on.

Blog Assignment Number Six

The New York Historical Museum was an interesting visit. From the moment I walked inside of the World War Two exhibit, I was immediately intrigued by the old school radio that was on and actually radioing news from that specific time period. I really liked that idea as the first thing people see because its a good introduction and it eases them into the rest of the exhibit. The way the exhibit is set up is in sort of a snake like maze and in a chronological order of artifacts. It began with artifacts on Hitler and the jews, then how the U.S entered the War and artifacts and events that occurred during and after the war. It gave me a good sense of understanding especially since I had previous knowledge of this war (its one of my favorites).
I was drawn to a photo of a young jewish women named Florence Mendheim in 1921. She was a jewish spy and attended the Nazi group meetings as a typist. She would then report all her findings to Rabbi Cohen and also with a police squad. I connected with this photo because during the era that Florence was a spy, it was a really scary time for Jews. And because of this, I commend her for her bravery not only as a Jew, but as a woman who tried to do the right thing despite the danger she was in. There were also other artifacts that she collected while as these meetings such as a Nazi armband and a membership card.
Another artifact that I found interesting was the first uses of penicillin during the War. This was injected into the vein or muscle which cured bacterial infections, including syphilis. Underneath the penicillin is an ad that states: Thanks to penicillin, he will come home. Looking at these items allowed me to think about how soldiers would be able to heal themselves and continue fighting, just to be able to get the chance to come home back to their families. Its a sad realization and also strange how during these times doctors weren't as numerous as they are now. The use of penicillin is still used to today but instead a lot of our bodies' immune system has become penicillin resistant.
My favorite part of the exhibit was when they dedicated a small portion of it to the rise of women in power. Due to all the men going off to fight in the war, the jobs that they once occupied now all belonged to women. The rise of women is a favorite subject of mine only because they were seriously oppressed during these times. In this particular artifact, it depicted a women uniform called the sperry coverall. A designer by the named of Vera Maxwell designed the sperry coverall which consisted of a narrow collar, buttoned drop sear, trim silhouette and change pockets. Before the war, women only accounted for 5% of the workforce at Sperry's. During the war, they were recruited to run engraving machines, drill presses and bench lathes. These were the baby steps that would bring women to their place in society in the near future.