By Alicia Gibson and Mai Nguyen

The Best Years of Our Lives is a dramatic movie that was nominated for the best motion picture in 1946. The producer is Samuel Goldwyn, and it was directed by William Wyler, who won an Oscar for direction. The movie takes place in the hometown of three veterans whom return after fighting in World War II. The returning servicemen are nervous about seeing their families and are not sure what to expect. The movie focuses on the lives of the three veterans as they try to adjust to the “complexities of civilian and family life after years of combat.” [1] It demonstrates how the struggle many veterans have to face in order to cope with their old lives. The social, economic, and political culture has changed since the soldiers have been away defending their country.

The three veterans Fred, Homer, and Al share a plane back home, and as they fly they discuss their experiences and the effects it might have on them as they try to enter back into their old lives. They are reassuring themselves that it “hasn’t changed very much.” However, in reality they are feeling alienated, aloof, and detached from the strange sights and memories of their former home. They wonder if their war time heroics will make any difference to the apathetic civilians.

Army sergeant Al Stephenson was an alcoholic with a wife named Milly. He was the eldest of the three veterans. Fred Derry was and Air Force bombardier who was involved in two romances, one of which he does not encounter until after his return, and she just happens to be the daughter of Stephenson. The other is his party-girl wife. Homer Parrish is the third of the veterans, and he was a sailor who was the hometown’s football hero before he went off to war. While he is at war he loses both of his hands and has them replaced with hooks. He is worried about how this will effect his relationship with his fiancé Wilma.

Social cultures have changed drastically because of the world war. The social solidarity that was once present seems to have fallen apart. In the past, the ideology was that women are incapable of supporting themselves. However, the normal ritual of women having jobs had changed. While many of the men were off fighting battles the women had their own battles to face on the home front. Women were left to run things at home. The daily rituals changed as well. Not only did they have to run the house, they had to be the bread winners as well. Many factories were run by females while the men were away. This caused many women to feel empowered because they were no longer depending on the male figure to support them. They know that they can support themselves. The war has given the women the opportunity to discover their abilities to do other things besides be a housewife. For instance, one soldier’s wife tells him that she wants a divorce because she does not love him; she never loved him. She stayed with him because he offered financial stability, but now she knows she can make it without him.

Relationship is social solidarity has been in the part of human history. Not only were roles reversed, but the relationships had changed. Stephenson hardly recognized his children and he also felt nervous around his wife. It was difficult for him to relate to them. Homer is so obsessed with his hands and the disability he has incurred from the war that he is pushing his family and loved ones away. He fears his fiancé will want to leave him. He is lucky though, throughout the movie his fiancé proves her love for him over and over again. Fred cannot find his wife when he returns, but he learns that she has moved out on her own and is now working at a night club. They do not know how to pick up the relationships they left behind. It is difficult for the families to because they do not understand what their loved ones went through while they were away.

The soldiers are not even sure if they should wear their uniforms when they are off duty. One soldier’s wife begs him to wear the uniform, and almost obsesses over it because it is all she is used to seeing him wear. The army uniform (any military uniform) is a vivid symbol of war for veterans. Uniforms remind veterans of many unpleasant memories of war time. The way people dressed in the film is also a symbol of the 1940s and 50s. For this time period, in general, people tend to dress more conservative. Most of the men wear suits or at least slacks. Hardly anybody wears jeans and t-shirts. One woman, Fred’s wife, does wear very sex, revealing clothing, but that is because of what her job at the night club entails.

Things have not only changed socially, but the political culture has changed drastically, as often happens after a war. Not many people respect the soldiers. One man even goes as far as to tell the sailor who lost his hands that the war was not necessary and if he read the newspaper he would see the facts. The sailor becomes very frustrated and angry because he fought for the freedom of this country and lost both of his hands. The man tells the sailor that his sacrifice was for nothing. Often times after a war people are quick to criticize. When all is said and done it is easy to say, “Oh we should not have done that,” or “Yeah, that was a mistake.” The soldiers are not respected, and the war is not respected. Instead of being honored as war heroes the soldiers are being told they were wrong and what they did was all in vain. Everything they lost was for nothing.

Economic culture has changed for the men as well. When they left for war they all had jobs, but those jobs had to be filled. Now that they are back the soldiers must find new jobs. When Stephenson returns he is offered his old job back and is even advanced to vice-president of the bank he works for. He earned $12,000 dollars a year. In this movie, soldiers who fought in World War II are not treated well when the war is over. They are no longer supported by the government, and they are on their own to find suitable jobs. During the war the soldiers were paid a decent $400 a month. After the war the wages varied greatly. Another soldier, the former football hero, only had work experience at the local ice cream shop, when he returns this is the only place he can find a job. He brings home $45 a week. He can hardly support his family and eventually his wife leaves him because she knows she can make more money working at the night club than he can. She can support herself, and no longer has a use for him.

Historical culture plays a part in this movie as well. Since the beginning of time people have been engaged in war. Country against country, family against family, loved ones against loved ones. There has never been a time of peace. War is so deeply embedded in the culture of the whole world that it cannot be escaped. Wars are fought for so many different reasons. Some are fought due to religious beliefs. Others are fought because of political belief. Some are fought in order for ultimate economic gain. However, in every war, whether it is a war between nations or a war between individuals, the war is fought because both sides believe they are right.

Most of the wars the United States have been involved in deal with political issues. The American Revolution was fought to gain independence from Great Britain. The Civil War was fought amongst the states in regard to slavery. The Cold War was fought for nearly four decades in the name of democracy rather than communism. In all of these wars America fought for political power and stood up for its beliefs. Relatives even went as far as to kill each other to defend these rights (in the case of the Revolutionary War and the Civil War).

World War II was fought under similar principles. The United States was fighting for justice because of the violent acts practiced by Adolph Hitler and the Nazi party, and they were also defending their country after the Pearl Harbor attack inflicted by Japan. No matter what the war, America has never been known to shy away. The American soldiers are notorious for standing up for what they believe is right.

The movie, The Best Years of Our Lives, is trying to show that the lives of everyone change after a war hits close to home. People change, economy changes, circumstances change, and relationships change. Things just change, whether for good or for bad. Many people will argue that the war (whichever war is in question, this does not pertain only to World War II) was fought in vain and that no gain was incurred by doing so. Everyone seems to have an opinion after the war has been fought. However, the fact remains that the war was fought. That cannot be changed now. The end of war is not the time to decide whether or not it should have been fought. Instead, it is time to deal with the changes and move on with life. The past cannot be changed, but the future can be dealt with as it comes.

War changes the lives of many past, present, and future. They affect the countries where the war was fought, the countries involved with the war, the soldiers, the families of soldiers, and many other people indirectly. War leaves virtually no one untouched. Right now America is involved in a war in Iraq. This war is being fought in the name of democracy. America has achieved freedom for the country of Iraq and is now trying to instate a democratic type government. Technically the war is over, but the effects of the war will be seen and felt for years to come. Soldiers are beginning to return home to lives that have not waited for them. People have to adjust to the economic changes that have occurred since the war. It is a vicious cycle that will probably continue for the rest of time because it is human nature to fight. War is a part of life.

The Best Years of Our Lives has many different levels, and many different lessons to be learned. It shows that soldiers are given no say as to what they do once they are in battle. They fight when they are told to fight, they shoot what they are told to shoot, and the rest when they are told they can rest. For many soldiers in World War II the best years of their lives were taken from them because of the war. They spent their youth in the war, and the early adult years adjusting to the new life thrust on them after the war.

This film also endorses the American value that hard work and determination are the key to success. Take for example the young sailor who lost both of his hands. He just wanted to be treated like he was before the war, but the fact was he had changed. He had a new handicap that he had to learn to deal with. His family also had to learn to deal with the handicap. Many people wanted to give Homer a break because of his handicap, but this was not what he wanted. Giving Homer special treatment and less work only made him feel angry and less adequate. Homer knew he would have to work harder to achieve the things that other people could do much faster. This same concept can be applied in the classroom in regard to students. There will be students who have a harder time grasping some things than others, but rather than being given special treatment they should be taught to work harder. Not everything will come easily. Sometimes things change, but the key is not to change oneself, but to make the change work for them.

Based on the SS-H-2.3.1 in the Social Studies Core Content, “Various human needs are met through interaction in social institutions.” One may say being a teenager is the hardest stage in one’s lifetime because they might get teased or struggle in family situations and school. School is a social institution that students need to be a part of. They will learn to find work with others. One problem in The Best Years of Our Lives when Homer wanted acceptance from others. Students have similar need; they wish to be treated like everyone else and dislike others making fun of them. Unlike Hormer, many students have dysfunctional families, where they are unhappy at home for various reasons. When students are at school, they are expected to act and think in a certain way. Therefore, lives are very hard for students, and teachers need to embrace cultural diversity and have multiple perspectives in today’s classrooms to teach students effectively. Since the mission of a school is to educate students to think and to make decision for themselves and to become good citizens, it is important that teachers embrace cultural diversity in their classrooms. Therefore, students need to understand the responsibility of being a citizen. According to the social studies core content, specifically, in SS-E-1.3.1, teachers need to teach students the responsibility of being a citizen. At the same time, students need to know that they have the rights, and that they can act on them in time of needs. Veterans in The Best Years of Our Lives have the responsibility to fight for the freedom of their country.

According to the SS-H-1.3.1 in the Social Study Core Content, individuals exercise their rights and sometimes their actions conflict with others. Having different ethnic groups can cause many problems. For instance, America has become a mixed salad that is composed of many cultures from many different ethnic groups. If teachers are aware of cultural diversity then they can influence some students’ point of view. Teachers can cope with their own fear of being different and also help students to do the same. If students are used to seeing and interacting with different ethnic groups, they can cope with their fear more easily. There are many reasons why students isolate other ethnic groups of students. People fear because they are not familiar with people who have different backgrounds, skin colors, religions, or culture than themselves. These fears caused people to act mean or develop hatred toward other groups. This happens not only for ethnic groups, but it also happens to many people within the same ethnic group. Fear can cause students to reduce interaction from each other. Some people even isolate themselves or ignore other groups. Differences within ethnic groups can create tension in classrooms, which prevents learning. A classroom can become divided into fractional groups, where it is hard for students to dialogue to exchange different points of views. As a result, there will be no community of inquiry. Therefore, embracing multiple cultures is very important to help students learn and to teach them effectively. It is even more effective if the teacher can embrace cultural diversity and understand ways of dealing with students when they are acting up. Teachers need to create the learning environment for their students, where there is little or no distraction. Therefore, teachers need to teach, and students need to learn. But the teacher should also remember that he or she is constantly learning and engaging as well. He or she must remember that her students are not only empty vessels. Teachers should ask essential questions that make students think and allows for dialogue in the classroom. Teachers ought to build a community of inquiry with the cooperation of their students. “Dialogue cannot exist, however, in the absence of a profound love for the world and for people” (Freire 89)

Bibliography

Homevideos 1997 - 2004

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Freire, Paulo. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Continuum, 2004.

Doherty, Thomas. Projections of the War: Hollywood, American Culture, and World War II. New York: Columbia University, 1993. The Best Years of Our Lives. 23 October 2004 .