Myths and heroes : can travelers of route 66 be considered as heroes ?

MYTHS AND HEROES

I. Introduction

I am going to talk about the notion of myths and heroes. In relation to this notion, I am going to speak about Route 66.

Conventional wisdom has it that a hero is a person who is admired for his or her achievements.

We may wonder if travelers of route 66 can be considered as heroes?

My presentation will fall into 3 parts. First I will analyze the travelers of Route 66 during the great depression, then I will be interested by the travelers of Route 66 during 1950’s, before finally focusing on the actual heroes of Route 66.

II. Development

A. The travelers of Route 66 during the great depression

First I will analyze the travelers of Route 66 during the great depression, I will based my arguments on the picture of Dorethea Lange named Migrant Mother. This picture was taken in March 1936, in Nipomo Camp California. It deals with the migrants’ plight during the Great Depression, 7 years after the stock market crash. During this period of time a lot of farmer families took Route 66 to go to California where they hoped they would find a better future.

It is a black and white portrait of a woman with 3 of her children. She is wearing a tatty cardigan and looks really worried and tired, her baby is sleeping on her lap. We can also see 2 children, they are huddling their mother and hiding their faces. All the family seems dirty and suffering from their living conditions.

I think this picture stood for the misery of the American people at that time and proves that the migrants are like heroes because they gave up their fife and crossed the country in very poor conditions.

B. The travelers of Route 66 during 1950’s

Now, I will be interested by the travelers of Route 66 during the 1950’s, I will support my arguments with the mural “The heart of Route 66”. This paint is on a wall of the city of McLean, in Texas.

In this mural we can see Elvis, a Chevrolet, a waitress and teenagers dancing at the height of the rock’n’roll era.

It depicts the golden age in the United States which contrasts with poor living conditions of the migrants seen before. This is a representation of the American dream where people have a satisfying life.

At first glance, people who cruse on Route 66 at this period of time can not be considered as heroes because it seems to be a part of pleasure to travel. But at second glance, they are examples for many people who want to have the same lifestyle so they are like heroes whom we want to look like.

C. The actual heroes of Route 66

Finely, I want to present the actual heroes of Route 66. I will praise them with the help of an extract of an article written by Megan Gambino, a journalist for Smithsonianmag.

This text explains the fact that it is the end of a myth, the one of Route 66. After years of success and popularity, it is now deserted at the American’s great

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