A World in Pictures

I chose a well-known photograph of a woman with her two children. The woman’s eyes are cast outward with a look of undeniable sorrow. Her children cling to her as a safe haven from reality. The black and white filter of the photograph is very effective, giving it the weight it deserves.

The image was taken in 1936 by Dorothea Lange and is titled Migrant Mother. This period is known best for the Great Depression. During this time, unemployment reached nearly 25% and poverty levels were at an all time high. Desperation was inevitable; people were forced into homelessness and many starved.

The woman in this photograph was living, at the time, in a shanty home with her kids. Her situation reflects so many people’s situations at the time.

This picture has become a symbol, in itself, of the despair felt by all. 

The Great Depression officially ended in 1941 as employment and GDP levels began to rise again. Unfortunately, the woman in this picture could not have known that the end was coming.

<https://www.google.com/search?q=great+depression+pictures&espv=2&biw=1279&bih=610&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=lcEYVMKDJsOjyATXgYG4DQ&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=hS0XmT_f8_5flM%253A%3B1lf6t_oLtqdhTM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fheathercreamer.weebly.com%252Fuploads%252F2%252F6%252F3%252F3%252F26336416%252F9281350_orig.gif%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fheathercreamer.weebly.com%252Fgreat-depression-webquest.html%3B462%3B600> 

(Sorry can't add picture, not sure why!)