Topics of American Life
Mr. McCreary
Name _____________________
American Life Through Film
Film: Far and Away
How did the structure of Ireland’s
society affect Joseph’s and
Shannon’s lives differently?
How did the “classes” (Catholics /
Protestants) in Ireland interact with
each other?
How did the way they were raised
(family, culture, etc) impact their
expectations of America?
Why was America at first, more
difficult for Shannon then for
Joseph?
What jobs (or types of jobs) did most
poor immigrants perform in
America?
Why was “life on the streets” more
difficult back then as opposed to
now?
Why do you think ethnic enclaves
(neighborhoods) emerged in the
Eastern cities? Are there still
remnants of this today?
List the pros and cons of the “free
market” economy of early America.
Pros:
Cons:
Political corruption was rampant
back then. Why do you think many
early Americans (immigrants) did not
speak up?
What impact do the think political
corruption has on prosperity and the
economy as a whole?
After viewing the film, what
characteristics or adjectives describe Americans “Americans” and “America” during
the film’s time period?
America –
In what specific ways is America
structured to benefit people with
these characteristics?