Relevance of the Letters and Photographs of the Great Depression to Americans - Literature review Example

Relevance of the Letters and Photographs of the Great Depression to Americans Introduction The Great Depression is considered to be the longest and deepest economic downturn in the historical books of the Western industrialized world. In the United States, this period began in October 1929 through to 1939 and only lessened after a few relief and reform measures that were put in place by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. During the Great Depression, forgotten men, women, and children wrote letters addressed to President Roosevelt, exposing the hardships they went through (Schultz 365). Thus, Down and Out in the Great Depression represents a scrutiny through some of the letters culled to show the thoughts, problems, and emotions of the ordinary people during such a time of economic turmoil. The essay is an analysis of the ‘Letters from the forgotten men’ and the photographs from the Great Depression. According to the letters, it is evident that the continuous measures applied by people to counter economic turmoil were never sufficient. Also, the middle-class citizens often thought that the economic depression affected their lives more than it did to the working-class individuals. However, this was not the case and by 1932, a greater percentage of the American population had lost their major source of income. People lost their income either through unemployment or the sudden loss of the family’s breadwinner.More than half of those who were lucky to have consistent work were allocated part-time schedules that affected their normal rate of income. For instance, letter 20 of (McElvaine 62) reflects on the life of a humiliated family that has lost and used up all the savings and been forced to go on relief in order to survive. The letter was written by a devastated woman requests for Mrs. Roosevelt to lend the family an amount of $28 so that they can pay for the storage charge of their things, and move into one room. The move is quite detrimental to the health of the family and reveals how the middle-class individuals suffered and sought help from American bourgeoisies. The Great Depression period also sounded quite ironic to some extent. The more people had in the 20s, the more they seemed to want to accumulate and encourage the habit ofacquisitive individualism. However, the influence of the Great Depression led people to start thinking about having enough of the material things and food. Having enough to get by was not as much important as having the values of working together with others to survive the effects of economic mayhem. For instance, letter 51 (McElvaine 91) highlights a letter from a family that is so distressed with hunger even though they work hard enough to get a daily paycheck. It is devastating that they get one paycheck after every three months, and such is not enough to cover for a family of seven. Also, people felt that they knew the government leadership pretty well and could confide in it for all the problems they faced. After the induction of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the number of letters received by the White House as well as the percentage of the poor people was quite unprecedented. The average number of communications occurring daily went up, and this trend continued throughout the Roosevelt administration. The White House had quite a rough time in answering letters, most of which were directed to Eleanor Roosevelt, the FDR, or Harry Hopkins. Through the radio talks held by President Roosevelt, many citizens felt they knew their President well and thought they could confide in him on the challenges they were facing (Schultz 372). They viewed the Roosevelt family as well as the other government officials as parent figures that were offering help, solace, and protection. Moreover, Roosevelt himself valued the letters and perceived them as a means of gauging the level of public sentiment. The period was far more than a time of economic collapse and affected the lives of more than tens of millions of American citizens. It is evident through the different groups of writers who sent letters to President Roosevelt. Some were middle-class people while others were blacks, the elderly, rural residents, and the children (Schultz 181). Their letters displayed much of emotional reactions of cynicism, despair, anger, and attitudes towards the little or no relief offered by the government. Contrary to the popular belief, we learn that most sufferers were not just passive victims of history but citizens of the US. More so, they were actors, and to an extent producers, playwrights, and directors of the American economy. The sufferers took an active role in dealing with their plight and resolved to deal with their problems without relying on much support from the government. The photographs from the Great Depression also helped the American citizens to understand their relationship to as well as the obligation to each other. For instance, the popular photograph known as “Migrant Mother” represents a series of photos taken by Dorothea Lange in March 1936 in California. The photo representing a hungry and desperate mother reveals the lack of economic insecurity among the American residents. The economy was so tough that the desperate mother and her children fed on birds and frozen vegetables derived from the surrounding fields. Also, the economic situation had forced the desperate mother to sell the tires of her car in order to buy food for her starving children. If the residents had prepared for such situations early enough and saved enough money, then they would have survived through the situation without the need for much support from the government. Lastly, a different perspective of the ability of a family to adapt to depression also emerges. The letters and the photographs emphasize the resilience and ability of a family to adapt to adverse economic circumstances. There were a few families that were off course not affected by economic deprivation. But, among those affected, many were able to maintain normal patterns of family life with the help of the breadwinner in the family. Many letters highlighted the Great Depression era as a period with an exaggerated sense of nostalgia, and a tempting time for family solidarity and togetherness (Schultz 188). Family members listened to the radio together to hear what Roosevelt would say about the situation and engaged in activities such as Monopoly that was popular in the mid-1930s. Features of family disorganization could as well be looked upon as suitable ways in which families coped up with economic deprivation. Conclusion The Great Depression era brought about a mixed legacy to the American families and households. Perchance, the most important aspect of the legacy was the fact that economic welfare and security should be a fundamental goal of a nation. The idea was much realized in the New Deal welfare state that often discriminated against employed women and often relegated the families of blacks and non-white residents to a second-class status. Nevertheless, through the Great Depression, the Federal government learned the benefit of providing education, welfare, housing, and health services to the American families. Works Cited McElvaine, Robert S. Down & out in the Great Depression : letters from the forgotten man. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2008. eBook: Document. Schultz, Kevin M. Hist. Boston: Wadsworth: Cengage Learning, 2010. 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