Eleanor Roosevelt Essay, Research Paper

Possibly one of the most astute and admired women of the United States history is Eleanor Roosevelt. Her biography, Eleanor Roosevelt: A Personal and Public Life., is and excellent voyage into the life of a public servant, a loving wife, and a legacy. Before reading this book, I knew little of Eleanor?s accomplishments, her lifestyle, or the joy she received from helping those in need. The book is an in-depth look into the life of one of America?s most influential women and definitely an honor to Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt.

Eleanor?s life didn?t begin the way one would expect it to have, being someone of her stature. She was born on October 11, 1884 in New York City, the daughter of Elliot Roosevelt and Mrs. Anna Hall Roosevelt. Her father was an alcoholic throughout her adolescent years and was sent away to a mental asylum, to recess from alcohol and return to a better life. During the time Elliot was away, Anna became sick and eventually died of Diphtheria. A few years later Elliot, unable to separate from his ways, died due to alcoholism. After her parents? deaths, Eleanor was raised by her Grandmother and sent off to Allenswood School in England. A few years later Eleanor leaves Allenswood and begins her life in the public?s eye. In 1903 Eleanor becomes engaged to Franklin Roosevelt, who was her fifth cousin once removed. Two years later Eleanor and Franklin are united together. Four years into their marriage, having already given birth to two children, Eleanor?s third child dies soon after birth due to influenza. This marks a turning point in Eleanor?s life which is one of the main reasons she is such a respected woman today, her life of helping others that were less fortunate than herself and her husband. The family continued on with their lives and Eleanor gave birth to her fourth, fifth, and sixth child. Some seventeen years later her husband Franklin, who was not the greatest husband around, was elected president of the United States in 1932. After a lifetime of

great accomplishments Eleanor?s dies at the age of seventy-two from tuberculosis.

This book I feel does a great deal of justice to Eleanor Roosevelt?s life in so many ways that it is hard to overview it. The biography begins by telling us a great deal about Eleanor?s childhood life which by letting us know about the death of her parents and her father?s alcoholism, gives us a great deal of insight into her reasons for always being so helpful to those less fortunate than she was. I believe that her being a child with no true parents to love and take care of her, left her with a permanent longing for affection and an intense ambition to make others feel loved and cared for. Since Eleanor was organized in the Women?s Trade Union League I was surprised to hear of her lack of knowledge in political matters even years after her marriage to Franklin. Eleanor soon learned the ways of politics, and what the right to vote meant to a group with similar interest, and helped lead the way to one of the greatest accomplishments of the United States, giving women the right to vote.

After reading this biography I feel that what the world needs is more people of the great character and stature that Eleanor Roosevelt was. Before reading, I felt that the Roosevelt name was left behind with a sense of honor due to Franklin Roosevelt, but I now know that Eleanor was, in my opinion, just as significant in our countries past and present as was her husband. Eleanor said it best in her quote, ?The thing which counts is the striving of the human soul to achieve spiritually the best that it is capable of and to care unselfishly not only for personal good, but for the good of all those who toil with them upon the earth.? I fell that this book is a great guide for the youth of today, and should be studied by students and taken to heart it?s words of wisdom and lessons of life.

The biography Eleanor Roosevelt: A Personal and Public Life was an excellent account of events of Eleanor Roosevelt?s amazing and historic life. After reading this biography I have a greater knowledge of Eleanor?s life from her date of birth, all the way up until her death. I think that this was an easy book to read and very beneficial to anyone who would read it, therefore I think that it should be required as a book which should be read during high school history. This book will give high school students a much better understanding of Eleanor?s life and also a good deal of information about her husband Franklin Roosevelt, that the students are otherwise unaware of, and Eleanor?s life is definitely one which should be admired and followed by our youth of today.