People
In the autumn of 1929 the mightiest of Americans were, for a brief time, revealed as human beings.
— John Kenneth Galbraith
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The passage describes a brief moment in autumn 1929 when powerful Americans appeared simply human. Its force comes from the gap between their elevated standing and ordinary vulnerability. The temporary quality of the revelation suggests that power usually obscures the people beneath its image.
Context reviewed