Chapter 17-19 Summary and Analysis

Eleanor was very busy during her first year in the White House. The United States was in the Great Depression and, according to Eleanor, there was a great spirit of cooperation as they all worked to improve conditions. They worked out their own routine for visitors of which there were many because of conditions in the world.

As First Lady, Eleanor never consented to Secret Service protection. There were times when she went out alone to meet friends, driving herself. The Secret Service finally gave her a gun to carry in her car. Eleanor and Franklin always insisted on an uninterrupted meal together after either returned from a trip so they could discuss their experiences. Eleanor felt that her trips and reports were her way of helping him since she provided him with information that he wanted and needed to know. At this...