1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History--and How It Shattered a Nation

Do you think Sorkin presents Mitchell primarily as a villain, a victim of circumstance, or a tragic figure whose strengths were inseparable from his fatal flaws? Use evidence to support your answer.

Analyze the specific rhetorical strategies employed by figures like Charles Mitchell, William Durant, and John Raskob to frame speculation as a form of democratic progress and patriotic investment. How does Sorkin’s narrative voice work to deconstruct these claims?

How does Sorkin use narrative techniques like source selection, pacing, and juxtaposition to contrast the effectiveness of presidents Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt?

Analyze how Sorkin uses the stock ticker as a recurring motif? What are its meanings and how are these created by Sorkin?

Analyze the Pecora hearings as a dramatic performance of accountability. Where does the book’s presentation of this procedure sit on a continuum between a fully justified act of restitution and a foregone “kangaroo court”?

How does Sorkin use descriptive detail to immerse his reader in the world of 1929 New York. What are the effects of this detail on the reading experience?

Access one of the primary sources quoted by Sorkin (listed in the Notes and Sources section). After reading it more fully, do you agree with his interpretation or presentation of it or not? Why?

The book largely focuses on the figures and actions of men, reflecting the nature of society in 1929. How does Sorkin portray the few women in the book? Does this affect the way you view the choices and actions of the male central players?