To Everything There Is A Season Analysis

In the book “To Everything There is a Season”: Pete Seeger and the Power of Song,

author Allan M. Winkler explained the struggles of politicians and entertainers of the time. Pete

Seeger, the main character in the book, lives through the notorious jazz age and the Great

Depression, World War II as well as the Civil Rights Movement. Winkler gives the reader

insight on Pete Seeger’s life as well as other well-known people of the time like Dr. Martin

Luther King Jr. and Lead Belly, among other musicians/ entertainers. The reader learns of how

Pete fell in love with the art of folk music and performing his music to unite people in song. The

reader is also able to understand why Seeger was put on trial for his political views and

involvement in politics. Pete was not the

Throughout the book, Winkler tells the reader about Pete Seeger’s involvement in the

Young Communist league and how he was part of the union. This leads up to Seeger being

charged with “ten counts of contempt of Congress” (Winkler 81). The United States government

was interviewing many people who they had suspicions of plotting against the government.

Seeger unfortunately was one of these people who had to go to court and be put on trial. His

friends and fans raised money for him to be released from jail on bond after he was indicted for

contempt of Congress. Seeger said that “being indicted just gave me a lot of free publicity”

(Winkler 82). From the reader’s point of view, the government became overly suspicious of

many during this time and did not trust what the accused people, like Seeger, said about what

they were being charged for. The reason being for this suspicion was the second Red Scare that

happened during this time. The Red Scare was fear that of the United States government