Why fear big business - Essay Example

Why Fear Big Businesses Task Although railroads were very famous in the United s of America during the Gilded Age, the construction of and the greatest development occurred in Europe. In a matter of fact, George Stephenson who was a British engineer is best known as the "Father of Railways”. It is a significant reason as to why the cartoonist used a European Knight in the drawing. Another reason a European Knight is used in the in the illustration is the fact that industrialization only spread to the US after Europe had experienced it “firsthand” is it was where it began. Lastly, the big and powerful Knight against the weak worker is an impressive depiction of capitalism. Capitalism is said to have begun in 1834 in England, another reason the cartoonist would want to use a European Knight.
Task 2
The late nineteenth century saw the US thoroughly changed by the Industrial Revolution from a principally agricultural state that ranked well behind England, France, and Germany to the world’s most formidable industrial power by it is today (Keene et al., pg. 56). Whereas many Americans celebrated the Industrial Revolution for the unparalleled material wealth and growth it brought to the society, others became concerned by some of the dingy significances of industrializations. The consequence of these disagreeing visions was an extreme debate over the appropriate role of the state in regulating the economy, the workers’ rights to form unions and advocate for better pay and working conditions. The emergence of big corporations in the late nineteenth century during the period of rapid economic growth saw the rise of very powerful men.
Task 3
The choice of color and placement in the drawing provokes only appreciation of the cartoonist’s work. All the objects the cartoonist uses to depict the situation that presented the American worker are thought for. Whereas the average worker has only the strike as the weapon, the large corporations have the power to bribe not only the press for favorable coverage but also to state officials suppressing the government for laws that were good for business. The two different onlookers, the comfortably-seated and widely-smiling business tycoons and the standing hunger-stricken workers help the viewer see how much disparity existed in America. While the handful of the tycoons on the left sit under a shade, there is no shade for the seemingly endless crowd. It symbolizes how malnourished the people are- something that is father supported by the look on the children’s face (Keene et al., pg.72).
Works Cited
Keene, Jennifer D, Saul Cornell, and Edward T. ODonnell. Visions of America: A History of the United States. Boston: Pearson, 2013. Print. Read More