1. What did Roosevelt mean by the “strenuous life?”
2. What was Roosevelt’s description of the role of man in the 1800s?
3. How would you characterize Roosevelt’s attitude towards the United States as a wealthy country? Was the greatest contributing factor to the United States growth as a nation, the great minds of men or the breaking backs of the laborers?
According to Roosevelt, "strenuous life" means the "life of toil and effort" (253). In other words, "strenuous life" is the life gained by all the hard work done. For example, man must have no fear if we have to roughly invade other country to reach power. A good foundation must be built in order to last, so we must fight, work and be strong. Once success is obtain, we must teach our younger generation to do the same to maintain our triumph.
ReplyDeleteMen in the 1800s should be hardworking and must not avoid toil/labor and dangers/hardships. They should held up their responsibilities and can not harm their neighbors and should be eager to help their friends. Even if their goal is hard to accomplish and the possibility may be low or even impossible, they should at least try. If men avoid conflicts, he is to be seen as lazy and timid, which are womanish. Thus, he is not trusting his own country. (pg. 253-254).
ReplyDeleteIn his speech, Roosevelt not only explains the strenuous life, but he also advocates imperialism on the grounds that the United States has a duty to take an interest in what is happening in other areas of the world that may affect the country commercially. With the United States’ wealth comes a responsibility to try to solve the problems of other countries in need. Roosevelt says, “If we are to be a really great people, we must strive in good faith to play a great part in the world. We cannot avoid meeting great issues” (254). To Roosevelt, the commercial power the United States has obligates the country to defend places like “Hawaii, Cuba, Porto [sic] Rico, and the Philippines” (254). This is because it will prove to the rest of the world that the United States does not shrink away from hardships and toil. It will also protect the commercial interests of the nation. Roosevelt believes the growth of the United States can be attributed to the hard work of the laborers. In his words, “All honor must be paid to the architects of our material prosperity, to the great captains of industry who have built our factories and our railroads, to the strong men who toil for wealth with brain or hand; for great is the debt of the nation to these and their kind” (255). Men should not have dull minds, but far more vital to Roosevelt is the willingness to put in effort and labor for the good of the country.
ReplyDelete