Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Literature's significance during the Great Depression
During the Great Depression, people often read books as a way to relieve stress and hardships from the era. Not only did books serve as a source of entertainment, inspiration, and hope for people, but also they helped to explain and make aware to people, then and now, about the significant effects and life of people during the Great Depression.
One of the books written during the Great Depression was The Grapes of Wrath. Written by John Steinbeck, the book describes the journey of a poor family traveling to California from the Dust Bowl region in the hopes of seeking the opportunity of making it rich during the economically difficult times that characterize the Great Depression. In the book, the farmers see advertisements about how there will be the promised opportunity to get jobs working in fruit orchards in California, and as a result, they see this as their solution to improving their lives so they move. However, when the farmers arrive in California, they realize that their idea of what their new life would be is completely the opposite: starvation, hobo camps, little job offerings, and extremely low wages. This emphasizes how because of the Dust Bowl destroying the agriculture industry, this damaged the economy, which then negatively affected people's lives. Although the Great Depression led to a lot of issues in the country, people like farmers started to come together and support each other, and this pattern can be seen through Steinbeck's novel, where he shows the importance of people being able to work together as a way to cope with difficulties. In his book, the farmers come together to stand up for the unfair work policies that they face. For instance, although a trucker's employer did not allow the trucker to transport hitchhikers, the trucker decides to go against the rules, even though he fears of getting caught, because he just wanted to help out others who were also in need. During the actual Great Depression, farmers came together to try to stop their products from being sold at unfair prices, and this effort later became known as the Farm Holiday Association.
Overall, Steinbeck's and other various historical novels helped to reflect the lifestyles and the impact of a historical period, which as a result allowed people during the Depression and today to gain a better understanding of the events and their impacts that happened during the time.
sources used:
http://www.iptv.org/iowapathways/mypath.cfm?ounid=ob_000064
https://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/mexican6.html
http://sits.sjsu.edu/curriculum-resources/the-grapes-of-wrath/plot-synopsis/
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Great post! It is interesting to see that despite the Great Depression being such a tough time and many Americans were barely surviving, people turned their hardships into stories to share with others. I wonder if there were any immediate effects or benefits from the publication of such stories. Did literature help out those who were struggling? Or did it only provide stories for people to read, enjoy, and understand?
ReplyDeleteNice post on literature in the Great Depression! It's interesting to see how, in that era, authors adapted to their audience to make their novels more relatable. I like how you used Steinbeck as an example; with both The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, it's clear to see that he has several novels about this time era. It would be interesting to see how Steinbeck's own experiences and life helped him write his novels. Perhaps he, too, suffered in his time and wanted to help others by giving something they could relate to. It would be an interesting example of how, in troubled times, people comfort others to ease the pain and provide unity in such a difficult era. For more information on Steinbeck's background, go to: http://www.sjsu.edu/steinbeck/biography/biography_biography_in_depth/
ReplyDeleteIt was really interesting to read on how historical events such as the Great Depression influenced the themes in literature during the time. Now that I think of it this makes a lot of sense as F. Scott Fiztergerald's critique of the American Dream in The Great Gatbsy was written when the nation was reaching never before seen heights economically and culturally. I wonder what are other events in American history prompted a lot of writers to write under a common theme. This also made me think how environments like Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance helped foster creativity in literature and music. Because of this, I wonder what specific places in the country during the Great Depression really emphasized the common themes of struggle and hope for possible success.
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