Discussion Questions
July 10, 2006
- What is the argument of Andrew Carnegie? What are
the class values and assumptions on which his argument is based?
- "The Jungle is a microcosm of Gilded Age problems and
Progressive Era reformers' concerns." Discuss with specifics from
The Jungle, and relate what you see in The Jungle back to
specific readings this term.
- What defines "American" at this time? Who/what is an
American? What are their qualities and characteristics? (in
answering this, move beyond the simplistic WASP paradigm)
- What is Mayo's central argument? What are the problems and what
are the solutions, according to Mayo?
- How does Westinghouse paternalism compare to that of Pullman?
- According to Westbrook, Hine's photographs "...pose[d] a challenge
to the benevolent posture at the heart of progressive ideology."
What does Westbrook mean by this statement, and what is Westbrook's
overall argument?
- As historians, what do the images provided with this week's readings
tell us about the past? How can we use them as means to examine the
past?