Read the excerpt from the interview with E.Y. (Yip) Harburg.We thought American business was the Rock of Gibraltar. We were the prosperous nation, and nothing could stop us now. A brownstone house was forever. You gave it to your kids and they put marble fronts on it. There was a feeling of continuity. If you made it, it was there forever. Suddenly the big dream exploded. The impact was unbelievable.Based on the excerpt and your historical knowledge, why did the stock market crash make Americans lose confidence in business?
Read the excerpt from the song, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”Say, don't you remember, they called me Al— It was Al all the time. Why don't you remember, I'm your pal— Buddy, can you spare a dime? The excerpt emphasizes the idea that the problems of the Great Depression
Read the excerpt from the interview with E.Y. (Yip) Harburg.I was walking along the street at that time, and you’d see the bread lines. The biggest one in New York City was owned by William Randolph Hearst. He had a big truck with several people on it, and big cauldrons of hot soup, bread. Fellows with burlap on their shoes were lined up all around Columbus Circle, and went for blocks and blocks around the park, waiting.Which statement explains the irony of Harburg’s description of the bread line?
What effect of the Great Depression is described in the song, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”
Read the excerpt from song, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”Once I built a railroad, made it run, Made it race against time. Once I built a railroad, Now it's done— Which idea is conveyed in the excerpt?
Read the excerpt from the interview with E.Y. (Yip) Harburg.The prevailing greeting at that time, on every block you passed, by some poor guy coming up, was: “Can you spare a dime?” Or: “Can you spare something for a cup of coffee?” . . . “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” finally hit on every block, on every street. I thought that could be a beautiful title. If I could only work it out by telling people, through the song, it isn’t just a man asking for a dime. This is the man who says: I built the railroads. I built that tower. I fought your wars. I was the kid with the drum. Why the hell should I be standing in line now? What happened to all this wealth I created? Why does Harburg feel that “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” is a legitimate question, not just a plea from a beggar?
Based on the interview with E.Y. (Yip) Harburg, how does Harburg’s experience during the Great Depression differ from the experiences of most Americans?
Read the excerpt from the interview with E.Y. (Yip) Harburg.This is the man who says: I built the railroads. I built that tower. I fought your wars. I was the kid with the drum. Why the hell should I be standing in line now? What happened to all this wealth I created? In this excerpt, Harburg explains that his song is giving a voice to
Which historical event was the major incentive for Harburg to write the song, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”
Read the excerpt from the song, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”They used to tell me I was building a dream, And so I followed the mob—When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear I was always there—right on the job. Which best restates the main idea of these lines?
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