Nisei Daughter Studs Terkel Analysis

What would you do if your world came to a screeching halt, or if life as you knew it was turned upside down? How would you act or respond? Overwhelmingly the response of people in times of desperation is to survive at all costs and make the best of the situation. If we look not too far back in our nation's history we will see desperate times such as those who were hit hardest by the era of the depression and also those who were displaced from their homes into Internment camps following World War II and the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In comparing and contrasting two books, Monica Sone's "Nisei Daughter" and Studs Terkel's "Hard Times" we are also able to see the many different ways in which people handle themselves, not only through the events
Both historical events were devastating for everyone involved. The first theme is an obvious one which is adversity. Adversity is peppered all through both of these books. Starting with "Hard Times," the Depression Era and the adversity that it caused people was not exclusive to one race as it mainly was in "Nisei Daughter." The adversity forced upon people in Terkel's book affected all races, ages, and gender. This can probably be expected with the Depression affecting all corners of the nation. "Black and White, it didn't make any difference who you were, ‘cause everybody was poor" (Terkel, 41). Adversity is probably putting it mildly for most living in America in the 1930's. From people losing children from traveling from place to place such as the young baby that died of soot and smoke inhalation riding through the train tunnels (Terkel, 15) to wealthy Anglo men not being able to handle the pressures of such a time by killing themselves. "They weren't able to live up to the standards they were accustomed to, and they got ashamed in front of their women" (Terkel, 83) The shame these men felt led to their