Reflecting on the Great Depression Through Art 1 | Page 7

I chose these pieces because I felt they showed the many ideas and beliefs that were spread throughout America, and how different people chose to address them. FDR’s New Deal was a polarizing issue and there were many people on either side of the Debate. You had people like Hugo Gellert who believed in Roosevelt's plan and wanted to see more socialist programs throughout America, and then there were those like Casey Orr, who felt that the New Deal was a misstep and actively spoke out against it.

America at the time had gone from one of the best economic periods of its life to the worst in the blink of an eye. You had people all over the country who were like Nicholas Oeconamacos: out of work and homeless. During these times it would be so easy to lose hope (as many did) and so I wanted to also demonstrate what was being done to combat that fear and depression by the WPA, between the art shows, public works, and numerous beautification projects throughout the nation.

In the Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck paints a picture of a bleak, desolate America. Corruption and pain ran free through the midwest as Banks forcefully removed farm occupants in an attempt to recoup their losses. This feeling of despair was all over America as people's livelihoods and achievements were ripped away from them. Like the Joads, many people were forced to move or take odd jobs as they struggled towards recovery. Many lost hope as to recovery or prosperity and instead endured under their hardship, which is why programs like the WPA and FAP were created. These programs served people just like those in the dustbowl who had been ousted and had nowhere to go and gave them a source of income and stability.

These pieces show just how divided and chaotic things were in America at the time. After the collapse of the economy and as the depression took root, the fear and anger people felt must’ve been palpable. When the FAP was founded, it’s entire goal was to bring hope and the arts to people. They painted thousands of murals and put on thousands of art shows and theater productions across America, each one helping to alleviate some of the pain.

People were still in conflict though, political opinions being one of the most decisive issues. Roosevelt and his socialistic programs were the saviors of America to some and its deathblow to others. Criticisms of the New Deal were common, and not entirely without merit. Many agreed with Casey’s stance, that the New Deal was unconstitutional, and it very well may have been but still others saw all the good it did and decided that it did not matter, America was on the path to growth once more.

REFLECTION