Exericse 45.1

Oral history is an important way of capturing certain aspects of the past that would disappear when the people who could relay their experiences have died. While history books relate the stories of great men and events. Jean R. Friedman also makes note that history books do not usually include the experiences of ordinary people- slaves, concentration camp survivors, and the illiterate, for example (30). By providing information about the people and emotions of the past, oral history "makes sense of the present and gives a glimpse of the likely future, according to Allison Gregg. Due to the nature of memories changing over time, it is important to evaluate the context of an oral history (139). Honig points out that "oral history is just one of many possible versions of an individual's 'past' (139)."



Works Cited

Freedman, Jean R. "Never Underestimate the Power of a Bus: My Journey to Oral History." Oral History Review 29.2 (2002): 30. Print.

Gregg, Allison. "Planning and Managing an Oral History Collection." Aplis 13.4 (2000): 174. Print.

Honig, Emily. "Getting to the Source: Striking Lives: Oral History and the Politics of Memory." Journal of Women's History 9.1 (1997): 139. Print.