470 ChApTEr 20 | the BreaKDoWn oF ConsensUs | period eight 19 45 –198 0 putting it all together^471471Pu TTing iT All TogeTher
revisiting the Main Point
•
In the era after World War II, in what ways did Americans struggle with the
ideas of national unity and diversity?•
Compare the civil rights statements in this chapter. What are some of the
similar grievances? What are some examples of differences between the
movements?•
How did US policy makers and local law enforcement agencies engage the
civil rights movements in different ways? What, in your opinion, caused
these differences?Analyzing and evaluating Persona in Documents
Until this point, the writing instruction has examined primary documents in
the service of historical thinking skills. Combining these skills creatively allows
you to use sophisticated approaches to historical arguments, including complex
arrangements of evidence and sophisticated constructions of the overall shape of
the argument.
This chapter provides a new dimension in historical argument—analyzing
and evaluating persona in documents. A persona is the “voice” that emerges in
a primary document and that reflects the writer’s or speaker’s experiences, emo-
tions, vision, and rhetorical style. For example, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have
a Dream” speech, in both its written and spoken forms, conveys not only King’s
message but also his vision, commitment, and charisma.
In many ways, persona relates to point of view, so recognizing key features
of the persona influences your understanding of the text. Consider the following
questions when determining persona:- What is the tone of the writer or speaker?
- What features of language does the writer or speaker use to communicate a
message? - How does the audience influence the message itself?
For example, note this excerpt from Ronald Reagan’s address to the first
conservative political action conference (Doc. 20.13):B uilding AP®
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