His Speed and Strength (Historical Context)

Historical Context

The Cold War

Ostriker wrote "His Speed and Strength" during a time when the world was anything but peaceful. Following the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan by the United States at the end of World War II in 1945, several countries quickly rushed to create their own atomic and nuclear arsenals. For the next four decades, this struggle polarized itself in an escalating conflict between the communist Soviet Union and the democratic United States. The resulting tension between these two countries — and between communism and democracy in general — was labeled the Cold War, and for good reason. Although much of the period was technically spent in peacetime, the pervasive feeling of suspicion and paranoia that was generated by this clash of superpowers made many feel that they were fighting a war. This feeling was still strong in 1980 when Ostriker published "His Speed and Strength."

The 1980 Moscow Olympics

The Cold War hatred between communist and democratic societies affected athletes too. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, United States President Jimmy Carter instituted a boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics, which were being held in Moscow that year. The resulting boycott — which ultimately affected 5,000 athletes representing more than 80 nations — was the biggest Olympic boycott in history. As a result of the reduced number of athletes, the 1980 Olympics were not very impressive. The Soviet Union dominated the highly politicized Games, taking home 195 total medals, including 80 gold medals, but the performances by many athletes left much to be desired and were often not up to previous Olympic quality. This was due in part to the fact that those athletes who did attend the Olympics also faced a rowdy crowd and cheating by the officials.

Reagan is Elected

Hostilities between the Soviet Union and the United States increased after the 1980 election of United States President Ronald Reagan. Formerly a Hollywood actor, Reagan's charisma and strong will had helped him win the California governor's race twice. Anybody who doubted his ability to compete with big-name politicians for the presidential bid was soon proved wrong, after a memorable debate during the Republican primaries, when the moderator attempted to shut off Reagan's microphone. Reagan's forceful reply and public display of strength helped him win over the public. He ultimately won the presidency against Democratic incumbent Carter, who tried to blast Reagan during his campaign by depicting Reagan as a warmonger. Reagan's focus on massive amounts of defense funding soon proved that he was, in fact, interested in arming the United States for potential war with the Soviet Union. With the help of tough international allies, like British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Reagan faced off with the Soviet Union, placing America on what appeared to be the path to World War III. Besides talking tough, Reagan's image also made him seem to be powerful when it came to negotiating with hostile terrorists. After his inaugural ceremony in 1981, it was announced that Iran had agreed to release its American hostages.

Compare & Contrast

• Late 1970s/Early 1980s: Following the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, African Americans and other minorities move into positions of political and economic power in America.
  Today: While African Americans and other minorities have made several gains on the path to equality, race relations remains a tense issue. Following attacks by Middle Eastern terrorists on American soil in 2001, hate crimes against Americans of Middle Eastern heritage increase.
• Late 1970s/Early 1980s: Following the second wave of feminism in the 1960s and 1970s, women in some parts of the world have more choices on how to live their lives, and many try to balance work and family roles. Highprofile women are recognized in both traditionally feminine and masculine roles. Mother Theresa of Calcutta receives the 1979 Nobel Prize for Peace. The same year, Margaret Thatcher becomes Europe's first woman prime minister. She is noted for her combative political style.
  Today: The current state of the achievements of feminism is debated. Although women occupy many power roles traditionally held by men, such as CEO positions in major companies, others choose to become housewives. New studies indicate that women may experience infertility problems after their late twenties, prompting some people to speculate that women may once again have to choose between career and family. During the last half of the Clinton presidency, Madeleine Albright, a female politician noted for her aggressive political style, becomes the first American woman to hold the position of secretary of state.
• Late 1970s/Early 1980s: British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and American President Ronald Reagan join forces in the Cold War struggle against communism in general and the Soviet Union in particular.
  Today: British Prime Minister Tony Blair and American President George W. Bush join forces in the struggle against terrorism in general and Iraq in particular.