How They Came Out in the Fifties

Name: How They Came Out in the Fifties
Author: John Arthur Barry

In They Came Out in the Fifties, John Arthur Barry examines the lives of gay men and women who lived in the 1950s, a time when homosexuality was still a taboo subject. He looks at the struggles they faced, the ways they found to cope, and the courage they showed in coming out. He also looks at the impact of the McCarthy era on the gay community, and how the gay rights movement began to take shape in the 1950s. Through interviews with those who lived through the era, Barry paints a vivid picture of a time when being gay was still a crime in many places, and the courage it took to come out. He also looks at the ways in which the gay community has changed since the 1950s, and how the fight for equality continues today.

By John Arthur Barry · First published 1904 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Social Commentary, Biography · 1,682 words

First lines

-"It is consolatory to reflect that while other nations are fighting for social existence and preventing an excess of population by fratricidal war, we are bridging over the immensity of the ocean to encourage clamorous and discontented multitudes to fly to a land of exuberant plenty; and that instead of slaughtering men at the barricades we are enabling them to build up a mighty Empire in a distant land, in which they can enjoy every political and social blessing."

What this Textopian page supports

How They Came Out in the Fifties is listed on Textopian as an essay by John Arthur Barry, dated 1904 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Essay
Author: John Arthur Barry
Date: 1904 CE
Language: English
Genres: Historical Fiction, Social Commentary, Biography
Length: 1,682 words
Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for How They Came Out in the Fifties by John Arthur Barry
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering How They Came Out in the Fifties?
How does this essay by John Arthur Barry fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Historical Fiction first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Historical Fiction — The title of the book suggests that it is set in the 1950s, which is a historical period, and the author's name implies that the book is a work of fiction.
Social Commentary — The title implies that the book is about how people in the 1950s dealt with certain issues, which could be interpreted as a commentary on the social climate of the time.
Biography — The title could also suggest that the book is a biography of someone who lived in the 1950s, or a collection of biographies of people from that era.