The Great Depression And Harsh Weather Conditions During The 1930 ' S

To begin with, Lange helped perceive the poor living conditions of the 1900’s through her photo of the migrant mother and three children. For instance, Lange with her photo of the migrant mother helped raise awareness, for the federal government gave the pea pickers camp, where the migrant mother had been distinguished, “twenty thousand pounds of food”. (Starr 48) The photo of the unfortunate pea pickers helped people realize how hopeless they really were. This creating a willingness to help. Showing Lange's photography ability to create empathy through a simple photo. In addition, the mother was so desperate for help that when the picture was taking place, “there she sat in the lean-to-tent” motionless. (Starr 47) The migrant mother was so

To begin with, description is utilized to show that pictures are worth more than words. In Lange’s image, the woman looks exhausted and the children seem saddened. Viewers of the image see this by their facial expressions. For instance, two of the children are looking away from the photographer and the woman has no smile on her face. Moreover, onlookers observe how people lived during the Great Depression in the west coast. Viewers of the image see this by their clothing. For example, the woman and children are wearing tattered, dirty clothing. The overall picture represents what people went through during the Great Depression without ever telling the audience it was taken during this

Dorothea Lange’s Migrant Mother is a photograph that documents a moment of distress within American history. The image works as a visual representation of suffering for those who were lucky enough not to live within the Dust Bowl region. To many it is uncertain if Lange’s image became an American Icon because of the struggle it presented or because of the eye capturing composition of it. However, with this image came forth the issue of a photos validity after photo manipulation, as Lange edited the image by removing the thumb of the mother who was a large subject. Despite the slight manipulation in Migrant Mother, the photograph still presents the situation truthfully, making the photograph function as both a work of art and a historical document.

The ‘Dirty Thirties’ is perhaps one of the most known time periods in American History. During the 1930s, the worst and longest drought occurred in the United States, this was also know as the Dust Bowl. According to Christopher Klein, the Dust Bowl is considered both a man-made and natural disaster. In fact, many events contributed to the Dust Bowl such as poor farming techniques, a severe drought, and economic depression.

Within the excerpt, “Harvest Gypsies,” Steinbeck describes the effects of the wretched living conditions of migrant families. Similarly, Dorothea Lange, Kevin Starr, and Steinbeck use rhetoric and imagery to evoke empathy from their audiences. For instance, in paragraph twenty the text states, “He will die in a very short time. The older children may survive. Four nights ago the mother had a baby in the tent, on the dirty carpet. It was born dead, which was just as well because she could not have fed it at the breast; her own diet will not produce milk.” Unlike the rest of the excerpt, this paragraph is placed in future tense. Steinbeck presents uses repetition when stating his fact. He claims to know that the mother will not produce enough milk to feed her child and the child will die. The emphasis that Steinbeck puts on the family’s loss makes me feel empathetic towards all the families in the camp who went through a similar tragedy. Steinbeck uses imagery when describing the living conditions of a family in the camp. In paragraph four the text states, “The tent is full of flies clinging to the apple box that is the dinner table, buzzing about the foul clothes of the children, particularly the baby...” Steinbeck is capable of painting the reader a picture without using any adjectives. The image he paints makes me feel compassion for all the families in the camp who had to

You Have Seen Their Faces by Margaret Bourke-White and Erskine Caldwell is a photo documentary of life in the South during the Great Depression. After reading You Have Seen Their Faces along with critiques of it by Rabinowitz and Snyder, I found myself more interested in the topic of how motherhood was depicted in the book. Rabinowitz brought up that middle class women felt the need to regulate the poor women because they weren 't feminine enough or motherly enough which is the main attitude involved in slumming. By observing Margaret Bourke-White’s photos I found two distinct classes of these types of images: positive and negative. I was curious as to the deeper meanings behind these two classes of photos and what this meant about Bourke-White’s perspective of her subjects. Another point of interest is how and if the captions of these photos of mothers cause the images to be interpreted differently.

In the article, “Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother, and the Culture of the Great Depression” by James C. Curtis, we understand what it takes to get the perfect photo to represent a message. Dorothea Lange became very popular during her time and is known especially for her photo, Migrant Mother, which documents life during the Great Depression. James C. Curtis does a good job explaining the artistic decisions to this most famous shot and how many different steps Lange took in order to really create a powerful message depicting life in poverty.

In the decades leading up to the 1920s, industry in America boomed. Not only were monopolies created but mass production of many goods was the source of an economic boom. During the 1920s the economic boom led to some of the best times in history. However, later in the decade, devastation came in the form of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. These two factors left a sour taste in the mouthes of Americans as they moved into the thirties. The drastic difference between the economic high and low of the 1920s are due to a combination of the economic boom at the beginning of the decade and the Great Depression at the end, with numerous factors in between these two bookend events. During the best of the decade there was economic boom,

The assigned readings offered an interesting and complex view of some of the diverse groups of people who were marginalized in California during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The primary sources shared detailed information on how Mexicans, Filipinos, and White Americas experienced hostility and inequality in California. In Resistance, Radicalism, and Repression on the Oxnard Plain, Frank Barajas discusses how beet sugar growers on the Oxnard Plain cut the wages of Mexican laborers working in their fields. This ignited an uproar and began a strike movement among the betaberleros (sugar beet workers), who felt it was an injustice to lower wages and face discrimination just because they were minorities (Barajaos, 29-51). As commotion was occurring within the Oxnard Plain of California, conflict between the residents of the agricultural community of Watsonville and the Filipino farm labor community emerged. Many Watsonville residents showed a strong anti-Filipino sentiment, as well as social and sexual stereotyping of Filipinos (Witt, 293). This tension between Watsonville residents and Filipinos sparked the Watsonville Riot of 1930 (Witt, 299-300).

One image in particular is of a family of 6 standing outside next to their car. While taking the photo I heard the wind blowing from the southern plains and the rumble of the car engine. I remember the smell of dust, sweat, and gasoline from the many passing families in the area. While taking it, I felt very tired and dirty thinking of what these families had been going through. Before I left after talking to the family I remember hearing one young boy say “ Daddy, how much longer do we have to drive before we can eat” and hearing those words just broke my heart. Families starving and traveling, trying to create a better future for their children.This family left their home due to a terrible drought in the 1930s, which well over 500,000 people fled the Southern Plains and of that over 200,000 were drawn to California because of the cotton crop that promised jobs in the

At the beginning of the 1920’s, the United States was beginning to recover the economy now that World War I was over. During this decade, America became the richest nation in the world. The 1920’s, also referred to as the roaring twenties, was a period of dramatic and social change. More Americans during this era lived in the city rather than on a farm. The nation’s wealth doubled throughout the roaring twenties, and lead the Stock Market Crash of 1929 where the Great Depression followed after this time period. This time period was known as a noisy period categorized by fast changing lifestyles, final extravagances, and the technological progress. This era made a big impact on the fashion world, especially women’s fashion, hairstyles, and

Growing up as a child, no one expects a young one to be out in the fields, in factories or even being a slave working their precious lives away. During one of America’s toughest generations, children were seen doing some of the same jobs and tasks that adults were having to take on. Making less than twenty to twenty five cents a day, children’s lives were at risk for nothing. As time went on, child labor laws were enacted to save children from abuse, neglect, serious injury and even death in the work place. As we sit in history classes, tour museums and take upon us the emotional and sometimes gruesome images from this time period, no words can describe how awful it must have been for one involved. But on the other hand, there was a positive side to the growth and construction of the American Nation through the New York City skyline. As one wraps up inside each photo, they most of the time do not realize who truly has captured them. Born Lewis Wickes Hine in Oshkosh, Wisconsin on Sept. 26, 1874, Hine was best known for his photography to reach prestigious goals of social reform. Producing some of the most emotional and life changing photographs of the time, Hine is to be considered a hero for many of many

The roaring twenties was a time filled with hope and change. President Warren G. Harding promised a “return to normalcy”, which reflected his own conservative values and the voters’ wants for stability and order. Americans felt that they had been through more than enough, and desired prosperity. During the years 1919 and 1920 the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Amendments were passed; the outlaw of alcoholic beverages and the right for women to vote, which ones of the many reasons society was turning their backs on Progressivism. Republicans were beginning to return to their previous dominance. The 1920’s was an economic boom for America, including everything from an increase in jobs, a rise in plentiful goods, new consumer products, and the reduction of taxes. The country was filled with jazz music, dance, and what appeared to be a brighter future. The 1929 crash of stock market was the beginning of a downward spiral leading in to the Great Depression. The stock market crash is often to be confused as the cause of the Great Depression, although that is false. A few of the issues that lead to the Great Depression included; farming (which decreased in demand as farms increased through the states during World War I), banking, and mass unemployment. Capitalism took shape as what was once the individualistic Protestant work ethic was reshaped into industrial work on a grand scale. Each worker contributed to the greater good, and the workers were presided over by a boss

Her most well know piece Migrant Mother which was of Florence Owens Thompson. The photograph shows a worn out mother with her two children's heads in her shoulders, and a baby in her lap.

Dorothea Lange is an experienced photographer, born on the 26th day of March 1895. Her works have been a source of insight for many people and this has proved very effective to contemporary photographers. There are many works that this woman did during her time and it is important to acknowledge them. Migrant Mother is one of these works and the applause that it has gotten from the viewers clearly portrays expertness at its best. The photo revolves around the life and family of one Florence Owens Williams and was taken in 1936 in California Florida. Going through the various elements of this photograph is effective in ensuring that one understands the deep concepts that revolve around it.