The Hitchhiker

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. The “Golden Age of American Radio” occurred in the 1930s and 1940s. Consider the historical and social implications of this golden age. Why was radio the preferred choice of media broadcasting for American audiences? What kind of programming was popular with American audiences? What brought an end to this golden age?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt orients students with the historical and sociological context of the radio drama and the importance of radio as a form of entertainment in Americans’ leisure time during the 1930s and 1940s. With the rise of technological development related to media in the early 20th century, many families depended on an in-home radio set to receive news as well as listen to entertaining radio shows. Radio thrillers, such as Fletcher’s drama, and other programs became popular forms of entertainment for families. Additionally, radio became an important outlet for political discussions; President Franklin Delano Roosevelt used radio broadcasting to communicate his “Fireside Chats” during the Great Depression, and political candidates used radio to share their platforms with expanded audiences.