56 pages • 1 hour read
“The Good War”: An Oral History of World War II
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Summary
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Introduction
Book 1, Section 1
Book 1, Section 2
Book 1, Section 3
Book 1, Section 4
Book 1, Section 5
Book 1, Section 6
Book 1, Section 7
Book 2, Section 1
Book 2, Section 2
Book 2, Section 3
Book 2, Section 4
Book 2, Section 5
Book 3, Section 1
Book 3, Section 2
Book 3, Section 3
Book 3, Section 4
Book 4, Section 1
Book 4, Section 2
Book 4, Section 3
Book 4, Section 4
Book 4, Section 5
Book 4, Section 6
Epilogue
Key Figures
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Tools
BetaBook 3, Section 1Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Book 3, Section 1: “Sudden Money”
“Ray Wax” Summary
Ray Wax, a New York City stockbroker, served as a soldier during World War II. After the war ended, he experienced seemingly limitless economic opportunities, but he also felt that there was “a singleness of purpose: making money regardless of cost or who you damage” (308). This contrasted with the attitude that prevailed during World War II, which was “a time of good feeling” and of having done “something worthwhile” (308).
“A Quiet Little Boom Town” Summary
Unusually for “The Good War”, this is not an interview but a snippet describing what became of the town of Seneca, Illinois, after the war. According to Terkel, between June 1942 and June 1945, 157 tank landing ships were built there for the war effort, suggesting how much the town prospered from the war.
“Elsie Rossio” Summary
A resident of Seneca, Illinois, Elsie describes the town grew to a population of 27,000 overnight (309) because of the World War II shipyard.
“Georgia Gleason” Summary
Georgia recalls how tremendous wealth poured into Seneca during World War II. However, after the war was over, Seneca returned to being a “little country town” (311).
“At the Bar” Summary
Another longtime resident of Seneca whom Terkel met at a bar claims that the “war didn’t change us at all” (311), although the sudden prosperity did lead to consequences such as stores forgetting the preferences of their regular customers.
“George C. Page” Summary
George C. Page, a wealthy philanthropist, discusses how the war effort directly benefited his shipping business.
“Lee Oremont” Summary
Lee Oremont experienced both the Great Depression and World War II, becoming a successful businessman during the latter. Oremont argues that the government regulations that have become more hated in recent years have benefited him. Of his overall experience of the war, he says, “We suddenly found ourselves relatively prosperous” (317).
Book 3, Section 1 Analysis
The chapter includes narratives of businesses that became successful as a direct result of the war effort. As the chapter title indicates, the main idea is that much of this prosperity was sudden, especially for the generation that came of age during the Great Depression. While it is true that war-effort prosperity did not last for everyone, including the town of Seneca, stories like that of Ray Wax suggest that it made American culture more focused on the accumulation of wealth.
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