Oral History Essay Sample

Oral History Essay SampleThe oral history essay sample given by E. B. White is not the kind of subject that is ever going to be very familiar to the average graduate student, nor to a professional historian. A well-prepared student will find it to be very interesting and often very difficult to master.This essay is, however, famous and is used in countless undergraduate and graduate courses on all kinds of subjects, and is frequently used in cases where interview material or secondary sources are not available. Most students who attempt this type of essay learn a great deal about the person and the occasion at hand, and are aware of what questions to ask and how to ask them. There is a possibility that even a beginner could practice this process with these notes.If there are any notes on this essay sample that you cannot follow, you may need to get a copy of it, or have it corrected. It is also possible that some of the names and dates may be a little confusing, so be sure to go over any notes carefully.To prepare for the essay, White provides a fairly brief biography of the person being interviewed. He then introduces himself, describes his background, and gives a few anecdotes to illustrate his achievements and ambitions. His remarks are mainly about his field, his career, and what he thought was to come.A basic outline of the course, and the reason for the interview, are given, and a description of the type of problem being faced is followed by a short discussion of the topic, using quotations from his own writings and other sources. From this, the interviewer proceeds to ask the important questions, without the benefit of the history student's notes. These are often related to his background and even his personal life.After the interview, White provides some biographical information about the person being interviewed, and even the manner in which he conducts himself, if the interviewer seems to get any unusual qualities from the subject. But there is no evi dence that White ever tries to encourage the interviewee to do anything that is unique or to draw any special conclusions from the interview. This is, of course, common practice in the case study and interview writing, and is not necessarily a bad thing.When preparing the oral history essay sample, one must think a little ahead to the 'Now' questions that White frequently poses and then take them in context, and work them into the subject matter. One will also need to keep in mind the difficulties that will be faced, and one's abilities to deal with them. This sort of thinking is important.In most cases, this oral history sample has been verified by White, and he is willing to lend it out, should anyone ever need it. Any diligent student can work on the same skills in several different cases, using different elements of the essay and the book, and with different questions and situations.