Since the beginning of time, it has been human nature to care for the old and sick within a family. Those without families, however, have relied on the government to help them through the difficulties of life. In 1935, to combat the number of people struggling after the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security law, providing a lifeline to retired citizens and those unable to work because of medical factors. Though having some faults, Social Security and disability pay provide incomparable aid to millions of American citizens and are necessary for the future of the country. There was a time before services such as Social Security and disability existed—a dark period of American history where elderly and handicapped people struggled to survive. The elderly relied solely upon their savings or worked until death, while disabled people faced discrimination and the need for constant care. Neither group lived in comfort due to the lack of aid they received from the American government.
John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men portrays the hardships faced by both elderly and disabled individuals. A main character, Lennie, is mentally slow but as strong as a mule. He is accompanied by George, a mentally sound man working to protect Lennie as well as to escape the vicious cycle of poverty that keeps them working on land owned exclusively by the wealthy. George and Lennie had to leave many worksites because of Lennie’s ignorance to the basics of
Throughout each and every day, we should always be looking to help someone who needs it. In the novella, Of Mice and Men,written by John Steinbeck, the reader sees an intelligent man, George, help out his vulnerable companion, Lennie. Although George is assisting his friend, he often regrets being his duo partner. As well as Lennie, many other characters were vulnerable because of political views of the time. In the novella, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck shows certain characters as vulnerable people like Lennie, Crooks, Candy, and Curley’s Wife.
Furthermore, Janie’s steadfastness to attain true love forces her to attain autonomy before she allows herself to give or receive love. Throughout the novel, Hurston does not “insulate her love story from destructive social forces”, unlike many novels containing love (Bealer 312). Thus, Janie’s relationships are far from perfect. Her first two failed relationships, Logan Killicks and Joe Stark, prove this. Both fail for the reason that Janie is not able to be herself.
In the story “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck is a wondrous tale of two men George a small, slender man, and Lennie a big, tall man with a mental disability, who travel together and face difficulties, happy times and fun with friends. This story by John Steinbeck has wowed many people around the world and right here. after you read this story you'll for sure want all your friends and families to know too.
Drifting away from the general opinion that physical disabilities were deemed unimportant in the 1930’s, the author of Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck, presents two characters: Lennie and Crooks, who can be portrayed as the social class of physically impaired people. Steinbeck presents society’s attitudes towards physical disability through these characters and shows how they are marginalized and excluded from everyday life. Throughout the story, Lennie, who has a developmental disability, shows how hard it can be for people with physical disabilities to understand social rules and fit in. For example, when he accidentally kills Curley's wife, he's described as being "like a child". This shows how Lennie's disability makes it hard for him to
“Man is the unnatural animal, the rebel child of nature”, H. G. Wells. Throughout Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, the majority of the characters are given bestial qualities, such as cold-heartedness and a very uncompassionate mentality. Unlike the others, Lennie and George seem to be compassionate and caring towards one another. The most prominent difference is how Lennie’s disability gives him a childlikeness and an ability to see the world without judgement and fear. More suitably, Lennie seems to have a very strong connection with nature, he is consistently around animals whether they are dead or alive. Because Lennie has a learning disability, he would normally be mistreated and not be able to be hired to work in this time period but, he
It was 1937, and the Great Depression was almost over; unemployment was higher than ever. Many people were seeking jobs and in the novel, Of Mice and Men, Lennie Small was one of them. The author John Steinbeck’s portrayal of Lennie helps one understand what it is like to be mentally challenged. Steinbeck does this by highlighting Lennie’s strength, naiveness, and caring nature. Steinbeck succeeded in teaching the reader of the social aspect of being mentally challenged.
As seen in ‘’Historian Interpretation’’ Carl Degler states he saw Social Security ‘’As a piece of this change, singling the America view the government is responsible for ensuring that older America’s would live decent lives. ’’(SQ3H) On August 14, 1935, FDR signed the Social Security Act which allowed elderly people to pension. Stated in “FDR” he says, ‘’This social security measure gives some protection to 30 million of our citizens who will receive direct benefits through unemployment compensation, through old-age pensions, and through increased services for the protection of children and the prevention of ill health. ’’(SQ3E)
This is the story about two men struggling to fulfill the American dream. “Of Mice and Men” is told by John Steinbeck and is set in California in the 1930’s. Many people go through struggles in this novel, some are physical and some are mental. Some of the characters with impairments are Lennie, Crooks, Curley’s wife, George, and Candy. One of the many characters with an impairment in the book is a man called Lennie Small.
The Social Security Administration is a great government administration that provides retirement and disability benefits to a large portion of the U.S. population. It was created by Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR). He created many new administration during the great depression to combat poverty such as the Works Progress Administration. Unlike the Works Progress Administration, on the Social Security Administration fights poverty through planning for the future rather than the now. The Administration themselves views themselves high as well, on their website they stated that the Social Security Administration is “one of the most successful anti-poverty programs in our nation's history”. The SSA could not have come at a better time than when it did during the great depression. It was crucial to the nation's future as to whether it would fall back down to its knees right as it got back up. The SSA protected us with retirement benefits which allow and help us plan for our retirement safely ensuring that we will have money when we can no longer work. This need for a retirement plan is exemplified by FDR’s speech to the N.Y. state legislature where he states “No greater tragedy exists in modern civilization than the aged, worn-out worker who after a life of ceaseless effort and useful productivity must look forward to his declining years to a poorhouse.” This is arguably the most useful part of the SSA.
In the late 1930’s novel, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck follows the lives of two men and how they live on one another to endure the hardships nurtured from the Great Depression. George and Lennie, the main characters, venture together along the rolling hills of the western United States, looking out for one another and being there for each other even in the hardest times looking for work to pursue their lifetime dream. Lennie, a strong bold man and a hard worker, is handicapped with a mental disability while George, on the other hand, is a slim, but strong man who has taken care of Lennie ever since his Aunt Clara had perished. Both the men have big dreams of living on a beautiful farm together and raising farm animals such as chickens,
Of Mice and Men is a story that follow two men named George and Lennie living during The Great Depression. Lennie is a man who is mentally challenged. Owing to that fact that he has this disability they have to make him feel as welcome as possible. The first example of the author
In 1930’s the Great Depression triggered a crises in the nation’s economic life. The Great Depression left millions of people unemployed and penniless. People consider leaving their farms behind to work in the cities factories to send money home. But as they grow into their new lifestyles the aging parent would stay behind to keep their dream of landowner ship. The seniors would be left in the hardest times of need living off the land. President Roosevelt’s New Deal was created to help jump-start the economy by providing unemployed workers with jobs and benefits packages for temporary relief. One of the many steps taken to alleviate the burden on the American people was the passing of Social Security Act on August 14, 1935 and its amendments by Congress and the President, Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The social security act was created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt so that he could put in place provisions in order to help the elderly. The social security act a document that helps impoverished citizens, such as the elderly and physically impaired receive benefits after retirement. Citizens’ in America during the great depression where expected to work weather elderly or physically disabled. These citizens weren’t afforded the financial stability to retire so work was a necessity to acquire money. “Prior to social security, the elderly routinely faced the prospect of poverty upon retirement” (U.S SSA). This effect of the great depression led to a lot death and homes turning into singled parent homes with no income. “The widespread
A landmark change in providing for the elderly came in 1935 with Franklin D. Roosevelt 's Social Security Act. While this provided aid to people with disabilities and mothers with children, aid was also mainly intended for the elderly. The premise of the act was that an individual would pay into the government through the years that they worked and upon retiring that person would receive benefits. Elderly Americans relied on this system to help pay for expenses that they might incur after they reached an age where they could no
Before the 1930’s, the care for the elderly was of family or local concern. Following the economic crash of the Great Depression, some of the many “dangers” in life, including poverty, unemployment, and old age, were faced head on through the actions of the New Deal. The New Deal, created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, set up a series of domestic programs to decrease unemployment rates and salvage what was left of the economy. The poverty rate of the elderly exceeded 50 percent and the stock market crash destroyed many Americans savings, thus the Social Security Act was created. This act provided aid to dependent children, unemployment and disability insurance, and pensions for the elderly. An issue with this system was that it might seem like a welfare program rather than an insurance program. To combat this issue, the social security funds would be from payroll taxes from employers and workers. Younger generations would finance the fund and would benefit from the system once they turned 65. Although this was a much-needed system, especially after the Great Depression, many still opposed this idea. People argued that this act would cause a loss of jobs and that it reeked of socialism. The argument was rebutted when proponents of the act proved how it would act as an incentive for the elderly to retire, thus creating more job openings for younger generations. A major downfall of this act rested on the shoulders of the women and