Historical writing

Please view week 4’s lectures before beginning this assignment.

Please read the questions listed below you listen to Fibber McGee and Molly. The questions can help guide what you pay attention to as you listen.

Please listen to the “Gas Rationing” episode of Fibber McGee and Molly. You can find a link to the program here. https://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/4/7/9/479ad3ccd1cb89df/Fibber_McGee__Molly_-_Gasoline_Rationing_12-01-42.mp3?c_id=28494&cs_id=28494&destination_id=3492&expiration=1618773853&hwt=388af90712b0671f264bab2a9c83ca35

To access an episode with captions, please click here. Click on the “cc” button to access the captions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_G_bnpnoSc

For access to a transcript of the program (can be read as you listen) please click here.

Students are STRONGLY DISCOURAGED from consulting sources outside of course materials. However, if you do consult an outside source you MUST cite it and provide a bibliographic citation at the end of your paper. Failure to do so constitutes academic dishonesty.

Please answer the following questions:

• Please summarize the plot of the episode. What is the primary narrative conflict? How is it resolved? What is message is the episode conveying to listeners?
• Please describe the characters of Fibber McGee and Molly. What does the episode communicate about Fibber’s character? Of Molly’s? How are these traits communicated? In your response you may want to consider: speech (what the characters say), dialogue (what they say to each other), sound effects/noise, and/or audience response.
• Please compare this episode of Fibber McGee and Molly to at least one other form of cultural expression during WWII that was discussed in lecture. How is it similar to other forms of culture during this period? What, if any, differences do you see?
• What do you think were the benefits of using fictional radio programs as a means to instruct people to support the war? What, if any, drawbacks do you see? Can you think of any contemporary examples of uses of popular culture to instruct audiences how to behave during a time of crisis? If so, how are they similar to/different from the episode? If not, why do you think popular culture is no longer used in this way?
• OPTIONAL QUESTION: Were there parts of the episode that did not make sense to you? If so, what are they? What moments in the episode seemed to rely on cultural knowledge or literacy that is no longer part of contemporary culture?

Please follow the following formatting guidelines for this primary source assignment:

• Use 12 point Times New Roman font
• Make sure your assignment is double-spaced
• Submit your assignment as either a word document or a PDF or type your response directly into the assignment; other formats will not be accepted and will not be graded.

This assignment will be graded according to the following criteria:

1. Does the assignment address all the questions posed?
2. Does the assignment demonstrate a close, careful, and thoughtful reading of the primary sources?
3. Does the assignment demonstrate a strong familiarity with course topics and themes?
4. Are all the claims made in the assignment accurate?
5. Does the assignment make sense? Are the ideas within it communicated clearly within it?