DBQ 8 – Home Front Nicholas Gilman

1. What information about her life does Carolyn Itri relate to her husband? Do the letters have
similar themes that show what is important to her?

Carolyn’s letters to her fiancé are lined with the details of everyday life. She speaks of the daily activities
of her parents and friends and typical things you would expect in non-war times. This includes going to
church, to the movies, and entertaining friends. She frequently speaks about their plans for the future
and her desire to start a family. This is a common theme among all of her letters, detailing her daily life
and ruminating on their future domestic life as if she were speaking to him over dinner. There is very
little discussion of the war, what his experience has been, or how the war has influenced life in the
United States. The impression I received was that she, and the rest of society, were just waiting for the
war to end so life could continue as it normally does.

2. In his letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Courier what future would James Thompson like to
see and why?

This was an incredibly moving and disheartening letter, for many of Thompson’s desires for a pure
democracy and equitable society remain unanswered today. Thompson letter reflected on his own
conflicts (and those shared by the black community) with defending a country with his life that does not
see him as an equal or full citizen. He is hoping that this battle over oppression from foreign aggressors
will be a catalyst to overcome the oppression of the marginalized communities within our own society.
The was a particular line of his letter that so clearly demonstrates the hypocrisy of America’s
involvement in the war which states, “For surely those who perpetuate these ugly prejudices here are
seeking to destroy our democratic form of government just as surely as the Axis forces.” I can only
imagine how difficult it was for the black community to defend a country from powers that were
persecuting sects of society because of their race, while their own country was inflicting similar
injustices upon them.

3. What are the similarities and differences between the 1942 and 1944 issues of the Herald? Is it
possible to tell how the war is going when comparing the two?

There are many similarities and few differences I could glean between the issues of the Herald. The first
difference that I noticed was the cover page of the first issue from 1942. It is a full page arranged with
patriotic imagery featuring images of political and military leaders superimposed with military planes in
the back. The latter issue features a cover with a full-page image of domestic life at Thanksgiving. A
couple women, possibly mother and daughter cooking a thanksgiving feast with a baby in a highchair
behind them. Juxtaposed, they offer an impression that America just wanted the war to end so they
could return to normal domestic affairs. Both issues contained letters from readers that appeared to
reference the war, as well as articles hinting at victory or advancements in technology or means of aid.
There appears to be no discernable information on how the war was actually progressing. Both papers
also contain many advertisements for dry-cleaning services or moving and storage companies,
pandering to imagery of American patriotism. Overall, the papers make the war feel as though it is
something that is happening far away and is an inconvenience to the pursuit of American domestic
dream.