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Home Comparison Essay Assignment Comparison Essay-Student Posts Works Cited Exemplar Internal Citation Exemplar Civil Society Defined Great Man Continuum


 *  Part I: Introduction **

Within the 1920s and 1980s, there were numerous similarities, including their economies, the concentration of materialism, and most importantly the influence of the changes that occurred during this time frame. The Great Man Theory is a tool that allows one to analyze the impact of a specific change through certain criteria: accomplishment, impact on daily life, influence, and legacy. Great man, event-making hero, eventful hero, and social determinism are the titles given to a topic depending on their ranking in the criteria (with the highest placement being great man and lowest to social determinism). I picked three topics from the two decades by selecting ones with different titles, so I can analyze the changes and rank them by greatest influence while using the Great Man Criteria and student’s wikis as support.


 * Part II: 1920s **

The Great Flood of 1927, the Lost Generation, and creation of CBS were three changes that occurred in the 1920s.

Beginning with the Great Flood of 1927, the disaster can be ranked as social determinism for multiple reasons. Since no one person lead the relief and help programs and groups did like the Mississippi River Commission and Red Cross, the flood was a group effort. The change in daily life was fairly large because “southern locals were trying to get organized” (Ashley M.). In addition, the people and groups needed to invent a way to get rid of the water. The accomplishment of those involved were the “ efforts to raise the levee[s] by stacking sand bags on the top” (Ashley M.). The influence and legacy are long for the aid groups like Red Cross because it exists today and is actually world-wide and because the programs were groups, the Great Flood can be placed as social determinism.

 The Lost Generation was the title given to the group of people that focused their life around partying, drinking, clothes and all in all, materialism. There were many authors during this generation, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, who can be placed as a great man. Fitzgerald’s books were “ not the most influential thing available to people, they were not the main source of where to get the latest trends ” (Lexie M.). Since the people did not use his books for much at the time the impact on daily life was poor, but the books did capture the daily life of them, the Lost Generation. He “captured all of the good and the bad of the 1920s: The corruption, greed, wealth, advancements in society, new freedoms gained, and much more” (Lexie M.). His captured view is his accomplishment and it is continually read to this day, therefore the legacy and influence has widened over the years and Fitzgerald can be named a great man.

William S. Paley, the creator of CBS, would be an event-making hero. It is because of Paley’s dedication and hard work that allowed him to make such big radio and television history, which impacted daily life the greatest. He created something different and took a “new path in radio history, making the news and entertainment national instead of local and found names ” (Becca J). By the country having full-time news and entertainment, their lives were clearly changed which shows his influence (nation-wide), and it continues today. Paley accomplished many things, including “adding separate news sections, recruiting talent that would have never been found other wise, and pioneering the national unity of culture, advertisement, and politics, that are still here today” (Becca J.). Paley’s changes were huge and his legacy lives on, therefore he is an event-making hero.


 * Part III: 1980s **

The Challenger Tragedy, Tiananmen Square Protest, and creation of CNN were very popular event in the 1980s that included numerous changes.

The Challenger Tragedy shook the nation and caused many Americans to doubt the program, NASA, that took credit for it. NASA can be placed under an eventful hero for multiple reasons. NASA’s accomplishment if the “making [of] the technology” (Emily M.). It has a big impact on daily life because of satellites and GPS systems that allow humans to communicate better and travel well. Since “society is the driving force behind NASA to improve and accomplish more” (Emily M.), NASA is placed more towards social determinism because groups influence and criticize it when it “either fail or succeed” (Emily M.). NASA has a long lasting legacy since it is around today and a large influence on daily life because of its accomplishment, yet it is influenced by groups, NASA can be placed as an eventful hero.

In Tiananmen Square during the 1980s there was a protest that led to the existence of tank man, who falls under an eventful hero. Tank man defied the government, which had previously controlled “ citizens’ lives, including marriage, childbearing, religious practices, employment, and place of residence” (Catt P.). He was a symbol of how citizens would not take the dictator any longer, but it didn’t last long. The impact on daily life by tank man did not remain because the massacre continued once he left, so the protest did not live on. Also, his legacy was short-lived because “authorities in China [were] afraid of [the] media” (Catt P.). The result of their fear was that tank man would not be talked about or shared within China. All in all, tank man had short influence and impact, therefore no accomplishment and his legacy was covered up which makes him an eventful hero.

CNN (cable news network) was created by Ted Turner who was a great man because of what he did in the 1980s. Beginning with his accomplishment, which isn’t just the creation of CNN, but what the new network did. CNN gave what was being called for: “ The US needed a 24-Hour news network and Turner provided that” (Mitch N.). Not only did the 24/7 serve as an accomplishment, but this is what changed daily life because people could now learn and be aware of everything any time of the day. Turner’s influence was “ultimately revolutioniz[ing] cable news around the world” (Mitch N.). The wide influence allows Turner’s legacy to be long, in fact, the network remains to this day. The combination of a long legacy, wide influence, impact on daily life, and good accomplishment allows us to conclude Ted Turner is a great man.


 * Part IV: Comparison **

The most influential topic from the 1920s that I analyzed in Part II would be the F. Scott Fitzgerald, who wrote about the Lost Generation and was titled a great man. The Lost Generation was a massive change in attitude, ownership, activities, and basically every aspect of life. I believe the Lost Generation had an influence on all americans, impacted daily life greatly, and the accomplishment and legacy is that the same attitudes and type of people are still accepted today. Although Fitzgerald's books were not that popular in their day, they serve as a way to understand deeper about the Lost Generation. Since Fitzgerald's books illustrate the Lost Generation and the books are used today, the topic of the Lost Generation and Fitzgerald's books are the most influential in history. The next most influential topic is CBS because of its impact and title of an event-making hero. CBS has become a place to retrieve information all of the time and it has added to the wide variety of television channels and networks. This topic is not more influential than the Lost Generation because not every persons benefitted from it, like those without televisions. The least most influential topic is The Great Flood of 1927 and Mississippi River Commission which is ranked as social determinism. The relief organizations are very powerful and have a great influence and legacy, but CBS is more influential because the organizations are not always working 24/7. Similarly though, both CBS and relief organizations, like those formed that helped the Great Flood, can not reach everyone. Overall, I would rank the topics from most influential to least influential by the Lost Generation, CBS, to the Great Flood.

The most influential topic from the 1980s that I analyzed in Part III would be Ted Turner, the creator of CNN. CNN revolutionized T.V. and communications for people. I believe when daily life is changed greatly, the change is very influential, so related to CBS, CNN serves as a very influential change that occurred in the 1980s. The next most influential topic is NASA because it is an eventful hero and not always in use. Additionally, the key factor for NASA is the people (which adds some social determinism) and if the people do not want a lot of production for NASA, then it doesn't happen. Although without NASA CBS and many other things would not take place, the actual creation of the cooperation has not been too influential. NASA is less influential than CNN because the legacy is not the best with malfunctions like the Challenger tragedy. The least most influential topic is Tank man from Tiananmen Square because he did not do too much in America and the changes he caused did not endure. NASA is more influential than tank man because it affects daily life more and the accomplishments can continue whereas tank man is either dead or missing. Once again, I would rank the topics from most influential to least by CNN, NASA, to tank man.

Works Cited: Ashley M. "­­­Great Flood of 1927, Mississippi River Commission." 2012. //Buchholtz Sidor American Studies//. Web. 1 Apr. 2012.

Becca J. "Columbia Broadcasting System, William S. Paley." 2012. //Buchholtz Sidor American Studies//. Web. 1 Apr. 2012.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Catt P. "­­­Tiananmen Square Protest, Tank Man." 2012. //Buchholtz Sidor American Studies//. Web. 1 Apr. 2012.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Emily M. "­­­Challenger Tragedy, Christa McAuliffe." 2012. //Buchholtz Sidor American Studies//. Web. 1 Apr. 2012.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lexie M. "­­­The Lost Generation." 2012. //Buchholtz Sidor American Studies//. Web. 1 Apr. 2012.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mitch N. "­­­CNN, Ted Turner." 2012. //Buchholtz Sidor American Studies//. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. RUBRIC

A quality comparison essay will

•Use the __four__ criteria of Great Man Continuum to analyze the significance of three 1920’s topics and three 1980s topics. consistently well analyzed

•Analyze of each of the 6 topics with evidence taken from the 1920s and 1980s wikis, Analysis is focus and supported by well chosen evidence--I liked the headings

•Develop a thoughtful and thorough conclusions on all 6 topics, all topics thoughtfully considered

•Rank the three topics for each decade and explain why one topic is more influential than the other two, yes

•Answer the essay question with a clear, well reasoned argument, yes

•Explain why the __second__ choice fell short compared to the __first__ choice but is more just than the __third__ choice, yes

•Organize ideas in extended power paragraphs, consistently done

•Identify the source and establish its credibility with an appositive phrase, done

•Cite evidence with internal citations and in a Works Cited. Click links for exemplars. Sources are correctly cited