America is a country that was founded by both the strength and determination of its public and the brilliant guidance of its illustrious leaders. In The Fight for the Four Freedoms: What Made FDR and the Greatest Generation Truly Great by Harvey J. Kaye, the author addresses the resolve of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the “greatest generation”, and how they managed to usher America into a period of advancement in pursuit of what FDR would call the “Four Freedoms” . The Four Freedoms introduced by FDR were freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. These four freedoms would endure trial, tribulation, and opposition, but through it all, the greatest generation would rise up to protect them time and time …show more content…
the greatest generation). While listing the various motivations of Americans fighting in World War II, Kaye states, “Americans from every walk of life knew the stakes. They served to bring an end to regimes and ideologies that threatened America and the world” (Kaye, 109). In this illustration of American belief and spirit, Kaye presents the Americans participating in World War II as the champions of freedom, democracy, and truth. And by using this particular representation, the author further sustains his allegation that the generation of FDR was the greatest in all American history by appealing to the American public’s support of ideals such as democracy and freedom. In a depiction of the public following FDR’s death and in the midst of the resurgence of conservatism, Kaye declares that “[Americans] had…[prevailed] over the forces that had threatened to destroy them…[and] had learned the hard way that neither laissez-faire nor isolationism had secured them and the nation they loved. [The public] had no intention of falling back” (Kaye, 149). In this characterization of the American public, its apparent determination serves as auxiliary evidence of the greatest generation’s resolve to triumph over opposition and bring about progress. By indicating that those of the greatest generation were the architects of change and progress, the author is able to provide straightforward support for his assertion that the greatest generation displayed hero-like qualities in their pursuit of equality. Thus, the author’s praise of and the greatest generation and their dedication to progress bolster his argument that they are the greatest generation by portraying them as no less than