All My Sons

Joe Keller decides that family outweighs society. "I'm in business; a hundred and twenty cracked, you're out of business; you got a process, the process don't work you're out of business; you don't know how to operate, your stuff is no good; they close you up, they tear up your contracts, what the hell's it to them?... Chris, I did it for you" (69-70). This shows that Joe wanted to keep the business running in order to support his family, despite the defective product. However, Chris has a different viewpoint. "I was dying every day and you were killing my boys and you did it for me... Don't you have a country?" (70). This shows how Chris values society as a whole more than his father's action to keep income flowing.

I believe that working for society is what is more important in this context. Joe should have just bit the bullet and close down his business. In the end, either way he would have lost his business, but in the route he chose, he hurt everyone involved.

Outside reading

Eisenhower was heading to West Point. Most people entering West Point were great athletes or students. Apparently, he seemed to do fine, but one of his roommates found it very hard. When Eisenhower said that other people finished trial easily, the roommate would cry, "It's easy for you" (Ambrose 44). This was just showing how ahead Eisenhower was. He also accepted hazing. However, he himself would not participate in it. Eisenhower built character at West Point. He lived with "Cold rooms in winter, hot ones in summer, plain, unappetizing food, and constant drill in the summer...". I guess this kind of place needs a lot of stamina to go through. In the enter, sports still was an important part of his life. He played football and did other athletic activities. His studies seemed to suffer along with this. I guess that there is a tradeoff. Eisenhower's time at West Point shows the character that this future leader had. He graduated in June 1915.

More Eisenhower

Eisenhower, as a young child, was nicknamed "Little Ike." This reminds me of the political ads involving Ike. Anyway, he would get into a lot of fights as a child. He became proficient on outdoor activities. Dwight became a better outdoors man. He does what he does until he goes to West Point. It seems like for Ike, being outdoors is his only passion. From a young kid to a young adult, he would fight, which would seem useful for his future in the military. Being skilled with the outdoors also seems like it would help one that is working with the military. It looks like Ike has the resources at a young age to put him with an advantage in the military.

Outside Reading: Eisenhower

Eisenhower's background is generic of those that were originally American. The first Generation of Eisenhower's family were Dutch. The family was deeply religious through all generations. The next generation, Jacob Eisenhauer in particular, went through the civil war (none actually fought). David Eisenhower was next, and then Dwight followed.
Dwight lived in a decent background, and eventually joined the military. I'm assuming that Eisenhower's original family left the Netherlands like everyone else: for money and freedom of religion. Also, I find it ironic that Jacob Eisenhauer was a pacifist, while Dwight would grow up to be one of the few men that shaped the 20th century.