Depression, Escapism, and Hope The Story of 1930s America

Depression, Escapism, and Hope: The Story of 1930s America Often, the 1930s are classified as the age of economic depression. Although true, the decade has proved to be a time of reform and hope. In the midwest a series of windstorms occurred accompanied by a harsh drought causing the Dust Bowl, while in the more industrialized north, citizens struggled to find jobs. From song lyrics to baseball cards, artifacts from the decade rejuvenated the once crushed spirits of the American people. However, not all Americans regained a sense of hope, and instead some resorted to toxic ways to ease their minds. Moreover, as the Great Depression trudged on through the 1930s, American citizens searched for a way to escape their hardships, yet remained†¦show more content†¦Later renamed the Farm Security Administration, the FSA â€Å"lent money to sharecroppers and set up camps for migrant workers.† Nearing the end of her trip, Lange impulsively stopped at a pea farm in Nipomo, California. There she encountered a young woman and her seven c hildren: Lange recalled, â€Å"I saw and approached the hungry and desperate mother, as if drawn by a magnet.† Lange interviewed the woman who soon allowed her to photograph her situation. â€Å"She seemed to know that my pictures might help her, and so she helped me. There was a sort of equality about it,† Lange later stated. She took six photos of the woman, and her most famous, which depicted the woman slumping over while two of her children crouch behind her shoulders, is entitled â€Å"Migrant Mother†. On May 10, 1936 the photograph appeared in The San Francisco News as part of a campaign to end starvation within the weak pea picking community, due to the iced vegetables. Immediately after the advertisement was released, relief for the pea pickers was organized. However, â€Å"The picture has had a history beyond its original context within the FSA†¦.† â€Å"Migrant Mother† has appeared on the U.S postal stamp as an image that define s the 1930s. Depicting the â€Å"widely felt nostalgia for a mythic American past,† the photograph brought the severe reality of the Great Depression to American citizens and to the government’sShow MoreRelatedFred Astaires iImpact on the Great Depression Essay1782 Words   |  8 Pagesthe 1930s during the Great Depression. Everywhere, Americans were looking for some joy in their lives, and Astaire was able to give them hope in a period of history that lacked optimism. Fred Astaire’s carefree dance movement style and techniques, specifically in the films Swing Time and The Gay Divorcee, help America through the Great Depression and signifies the importance of art in this time period. 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