Overview The Boys in the Boat is a historical account of the 1936 United States Olympic rowing team’s journey to the Olympics. The book reflects on all aspects of history in the 1920’s, 30’s, and 40’s, including the depression, family customs, World War II, and the lives of average citizens in Washington state. While heart-breaking at some points, the overall tone of this incredible story is uplifting. You will not want to put The Boys in the Boat down.
Style and Voice Author Daniel Brown gathered a majority of the stories included in The Boys in the Boat from the daughter of 1936 U.S. Olympic rower Joe Rantz. By the time Brown began the interview process for this book, Rantz was an elderly man, which made it difficult for Brown to question him directly. Instead, his daughter, Judy Willman, provided much of the …show more content…
Therefor, many types of questions were raised. Some personal, some philosophical, some historical. One of the more personal was, how can you ever trust someone, if you have been hurt before? Why would you even try? Joe experienced so much abandonment, which brought so much hatred to Joyce. Eventually, both of them moved in with the same father that cause them so much pain. I still don’t completely understand why they both put up with him.
A more historical question the book raised for me was how so many Germans fell under the Nazi’s ploy when they knew they had so much to hide from the world. If you don’t want to show the world your true country, why do you continue to do what you are afraid to admit you do? All signs prohibiting Jewish people were taken down from stores in Germany before the Olympics. The concentration camps under construction were tucked away so no tourists would find them. Any journalists who asked about the political state of the country were directed to be silenced by officials. I can’t understand how so many people let this
Style and Voice Author Daniel Brown gathered a majority of the stories included in The Boys in the Boat from the daughter of 1936 U.S. Olympic rower Joe Rantz. By the time Brown began the interview process for this book, Rantz was an elderly man, which made it difficult for Brown to question him directly. Instead, his daughter, Judy Willman, provided much of the …show more content…
Therefor, many types of questions were raised. Some personal, some philosophical, some historical. One of the more personal was, how can you ever trust someone, if you have been hurt before? Why would you even try? Joe experienced so much abandonment, which brought so much hatred to Joyce. Eventually, both of them moved in with the same father that cause them so much pain. I still don’t completely understand why they both put up with him.
A more historical question the book raised for me was how so many Germans fell under the Nazi’s ploy when they knew they had so much to hide from the world. If you don’t want to show the world your true country, why do you continue to do what you are afraid to admit you do? All signs prohibiting Jewish people were taken down from stores in Germany before the Olympics. The concentration camps under construction were tucked away so no tourists would find them. Any journalists who asked about the political state of the country were directed to be silenced by officials. I can’t understand how so many people let this