Essay Sample. My Interview with my Grandmother

D. is my grandmother, and she's 72 years old. I thought it would be interesting to interview her for this paper. She was born and raised in North Carolina but moved to Virginia at age three. Throughout her childhood, she moved several times around Virginia, but the house she lived in the longest was on Dwight Road in Newport News. She lived in this house from second grade till the end of her sophomore year in high school, roughly about nine years. The world is complicated now, she says, because when she was growing up, we lived in simpler times. 

A little more background information about my grandma is that her parents both worked, her father worked at AMOC Oil Company, and her mother worked at First Virginia bank. She grew up with two brothers, Dennis and Darryl, she was the middle child. Her brothers shared a room, and she shared a room with her grandma, Pearl. They celebrated all holidays at their house, whether it was Christmas, Easter, or Thanksgiving. One of her favorite memories of this house was living with her grandma and when her grandmother taught her how to cook. Although she has a lot of memories there, she doesn’t miss it because this was the last place she lived with her grandma before she passed away. The most unique feature of this house is the floor furnace it had, and the grate was on the floor. She remembers that when her mom would get cold, she would go stand on the grate to warm up. She didn’t have any pets until they moved from Dwight Road to Hahn, which is a neighborhood in Newport News. The neighborhood that they lived in had quite a few kids, but her neighbors on the left side of their house didn’t have children until she was much older, but they still played together. The family on the right side were from Germany but had very strict rules about their children playing outside and they couldn’t play outside unless their parents were there with them. All the houses in their neighborhood were the same unless someone made an addition to their house. 

They were a middle-class family because at the time you were either considered poor, middle class, or rich. The house that they lived in was located on a quiet street in Newport News, Virginia. It was a single-story, 1,000 square foot house with three bedrooms and one bathroom, and she lived with six people. They had a 1965 beige Chevy Corvair, and she remembers taking a trip to North Carolina and having to pile in the back of this car with her two brothers, her, and her grandma. She still doesn’t remember why her father bought the car because she says it wasn’t practical for a family of six. The house was a wooden white house with red shutters and a bright red front door. The floors were made from real wood throughout the house. They had a small garden in the backyard where they grew tomatoes, onions, and green beans. They also had a shed in the backyard, that her father used for storing away the lawnmower. The landscape around her house was always in perfect shape because her father was a yard worker, and she remembers the azaleas they had in their front yard. Her father did a lot around the house, as well as added onto their house. They added on a laundry room, and they also renovated their kitchen. She said that it was the most beautiful kitchen she had ever seen, with yellow cabinets and black hardware. They only moved one time after this house. She attended Deer Park Elementary from 2nd grade to 8th grade and then went to Warwick high school for 9th and 10th grade before moving again. The most unique aspect of this house was there was a huge old pine tree in the front yard and the sidewalk to their front door curved around the tree. They were close to Hilton, a shopping center, and Dairy Freeze which she claims had the best food in the world. She said that it was nice to live there because they had great neighbors, and everyone got along. Another one of her favorite memories is that a lady that lived close by had church at her house. She would go over to the house have a bible study, play games, and eat lunch every week. She spent the most time in the kitchen, dining room, and living room area. She had a lot of chores like laundry, ironing, vacuuming, washing the dishes, and dusting. She started cooking full meals at age thirteen. She did most of the chores because her brothers didn’t do housework, but instead, they helped their father outside. They had an attic that was mainly used for storage like decorations for Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. They had a major flood that occurred when she was around ten years old, but she always felt safe in the house. She didn’t have many toys growing up, but when she did, she was only allowed to keep them in her bedroom. She claims that she wouldn’t go back if she could because although she has good memories, the bad ones still stick out like her grandma passing away. Her neighborhood was an all-white neighborhood because segregation was still going on during this time. She doesn’t recall any crime going on while she lived there, and she felt rather safe. Her parents would let her venture off with friends without supervision, but she always had to make it back home before dark. Although she didn’t have a playset in the backyard, she still managed to have fun outside. She would ride bikes with her friends and ride up to the country store. They would always look around and get candy for a penny!

Between oral history and archival history, as well as direct observation, there are many differences, including the fact that in one case biases can be introduced from other sources, while in the other I can present my viewpoint. The goal of oral history is to add to the historical record by recording interviews between a person with personal experience of historical events and a knowledgeable interviewer. In comparison, an archive is a collection of historical documents in any form or the physical enclosure in which they are stored. Archives are collections of primary source documents gathered over the lifespan of an individual or an organization and to show how that individual or organization operated. In my opinion, I prefer oral history because during the interview with my grandma I could see the joy on her face once the memories unlocked. While using Sanborn maps in our previous assignments it didn’t give me the same excitement as interviewing my grandma did. Although oral history is infused with biases, and I don’t know if the story is the truth, it is her truth and that is how she remembers living her life. I was fascinated by her excitement when I was conducting the interview and asking her questions. During my interview with her, we shared laughs, we cried, and there were constant smiles. I think that oral history can provide a different perspective on events than archival history or direct observation can. All types of materials may contribute to the interpretation of a building, whether oral history, archival collections, or direct observation.