Wisdom in Words: Robert Kennedy's Search for Meaning, 1963-1968

Authors

Leigh Straw

Document Type

Book

Publisher

Humming Earth

Faculty

Faculty of Education and Arts

School

School of Communications and Arts

RAS ID

14044

Comments

Straw, L. S. (2012). Wisdom in Words: Robert Kennedy's Search for Meaning, 1963-1968. Scotland: Humming Earth.

Abstract

In the months following the assassination of his brother, President John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy struggled to find meaning in a world that no longer made sense.For the first time in his life, he had to make a choice about what he wanted to do and what kind of public figure he would be. In the midst of his grief, he discovered the wisdom of the ancient Greeks and French-Algerian philosopher, Albert Camus. At poignant moments in his major speeches from 1964-1968 Robert Kennedy used passages from the Greeks and Camus to express himself and inspire his audiences. This passion for reading allowed Kennedy to intellectualise his public identity and communicate in a raw, honest way. Influenced by the Greeks and Camus, RFK's last years represent a new consciousness about the world around him. This book details the words of wisdom that inspired Robert Kennedy and allowed him to leave his own legacy in words.

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