ABSTRACT
Changes in the cultural milieu, borne of desperate circumstances, had their impact on Eleanor Roosevelt's evolving worldview during the troubled 1930s and war-torn 1940s–a time frame that coincided with her period in the White House. The chapter aims to survey the effects that the prevailing cultural environment had on her thinking, on her opinions, her writing and her actions during the pre-war and wartime period vis-a-vis the Zionist/Palestinian problem. In supporting Zionist endeavours, she revealed a curious ambiguity as she was also deservedly praised for her concerns for the overlooked in society–though in this instance she seemed to display little care for the Palestinians. Initially Jewish–Americans sought assistance in aiding refugees and latterly, as Zionism gained momentum amongst them, they wanted support for a national homeland. Roosevelt's humanitarian public image disguised the complexities of her personality, leaving the subtle influences that shaped her unmarked and uninvestigated; generally the literature reinforces the benign interpretation of her character.
