Steinbeck The Lower Class Analysis
In the late 1920s, a culmination of factors, both foreign and domestic, led many American families into unemployment and poverty. The Great Depression was a time of widespread poverty and forced migration, as it was common for young children to beg for money and search trash cans for food. Accordingly, different geographical regions were impacted more than others, which divided Americans. The economy experienced a greater wealth imbalance than ever before, as a small portion of Americans controlled an disproportionate percentage of the nation’s wealth. Additionally, the unemployment rate reached an all time high, with a quarter of Americans unable to find employment, further establishing socioeconomic divide. Literature of this time period …show more content…
The upper class despises the lower class, constantly insulting them, pushing them around, and making social mobility unachievable. The low class men describe their encounters with the Westerners, recalling how a man once told him, “‘I don’t like you, you son-of-a-bitch” (Steinbeck 221). Here, the upper class disrespect people they had never met before, solely based off of socioeconomic class. Their distaste for the lower class becomes more evident, as the men describes how you could “see in people’s face how they hate you” (Steinbeck 221). With this, Steinbeck illustrates the hatred which the upper class had towards their potential employees. These emotions provide further reasoning for such poor economic conditions, as those with money were using it to prevent others from economic prosperity. Rather, the upper class were labeling those in need as “Okies”, and attempting to drive them out of “their” land. Steinbeck illustrates the lower class’ reception of this treatment, and their disgust with the upper class for treating them this way. The lower class believe that their ardent work ethic has incited fear in the upper class and caused them to try to eradicate any possibility for the lower class to succeed by reducing their opportunities. By demonstrating the upper class’ perception of the lower class and the response of the lower class to those perceptions, Steinbeck captures the many emotions present during the Great
Dust Bowl Research Paper
979 Words | 4 PagesThe people were in debt and and just dug themselves a deeper hole “,combined with production of more and more goods and rising personal debt,”(The Great Depressions) and had no way of making money to pay it all back without jobs. This all goes back to the roaring twenties when eh people bought and bought and dint think of the consequences. The biggest problem for the American was the stock market crash “the stock market crashed, triggering the Great Depression, the worst economic collapse in the history of the modern industrial world. ”(The Great Depression) leading them into social mayhem. The people although causing this distress themselves sought out other things to blame while being completely helpless in their
New Deal Dbq Essay
564 Words | 3 PagesThe wealth during the 1920s left Americans unprepared for the economic depression they would face in the 1930s. The Great Depression occurred because of overproduction by farmers and factories, consumption of goods decreased, uneven distribution of wealth, and overexpansion of credit. Hoover was president when the depression first began, and he maintained the government’s laissez-faire attitude in the economy. However, after the election of FDR in 1932, his many alphabet soup programs in his first one hundred days in office addressed the nation’s need for change.
What Caused The Great Depression Dbq Essay
726 Words | 3 PagesIn 1929, the U.S. was hit with the worst economic crisis in the history of the country, the Great Depression. The Great Depression left millions of people unemployed and cost millions their life's savings. The Depression lasted for ten long years for the American people. Since the Great Depression ended, people have studied it, trying to figure out what happened that started it all. The problem was, in fact, the poor economic habits of the people at the time, such as speculation, income maldistribution, and overproduction.
The Great Depression In The Film, Cinderella Man
1279 Words | 6 PagesThe Great Depression was a devastating period in United States History, the economy collapsed, and a staggering 25% of the population was unemployed. During this time, there were large wage disparity gaps that were very prevalent, there was no middle class, you were either wealthy or you were poor. It was hard for family life to continue, parents had to take up two and three jobs to make sure their kids were staying safe, and well. Most of these jobs were odd-jobs, and were temporary with no sense of security. It was a struggle to find work, and no job was too demeaning for you to do, because you may not find work again.
The Great Depression And Homelessness In The 1920's
526 Words | 3 PagesOne of the most world-changing moments in the world at the end of the 1920's was the Great Depression. Although some might have benefited from it, the Great Depression was also the event that caused the economy to become depressed due to many changes in the world. The Great Depression caused extreme poverty, severe number of unemployed people and homelessness. In picture two, it shows how there's a homeless man sitting there with a little baby.
How Did The Great Depression Affect African Americans In The 1930's
510 Words | 3 PagesThe experience that the majority of urban and rural Americans shared together during the depression was a flat out lack of income. The differences were very few, but in the cities, the depression was more prominently visible because of a higher percentage of the population (Schultz 2014). Besides the lack of income and employment, most Americans underwent periods of time being extremely hungry. In the cities, people spent hours waiting in breadlines and were losing their homes to only end up living on the streets in communities referred to as "Hoovervilles" nicknamed after the president (Schultz 2014). In the country, families suffered because of unusual droughts of the 1930 's that caused crops to fail miserably meant the already indebted farmers commonly lost their properties.
Causes Of The Great Depression Dbq
880 Words | 4 PagesDuring the 20s, which became known at the Roaring 20s, American society was at an all time high and people were prospering as the nation’s wealth almost doubled and American was sent into the modern, consumer age. However following almost directly after the Roaring 20s, America entered a period of economic failure, also known as the Great Depression. During this period, the U.S faced economic, social, and political turmoil. The government and various individuals quickly sought after solutions to address the problems facing America during this time. Herbert Hoover, who was President at the start of the Depression, and his many reforms intended to revitalize the economy and create more jobs but would fail and his belief in rugged individualism
Social Injustice In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
513 Words | 3 PagesIn the novel “Of Mice and Men” John Steinbeck portrays the theme of social injustice throughout the story in the lives of several characters that include Lennie, Curley’s Wife, and the stable buck, Crooks. All of these characters are mistreated in some way, shape or form. The hardships that these characters faced help guide us to see the social injustice that is prevalent in the story. Lennie is a victim of social injustice due to the fact that he is mentally disabled. He is not treated fairly when he was accused of rape.
Examples Of Social Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird
740 Words | 3 PagesSocial inequality is overlooked by many. It affects so many of us, though we have yet to realize how extreme it is. Lee argues in this novel how much stress social inequalities put on the black and white races throughout the 1930s. Although, social inequalities did not just affect different races, it also affected poor people and family backgrounds. These are proven in the novel multiple times through Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and the Cunninghams when the book is looked at more in
Social Classes In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
833 Words | 4 PagesJohn Steinbeck’s, Of Mice and Men, is a compelling story that has captured and embodied the struggle and loneliness felt by many during the Great Depression. While desire for the American Dream is prominent in the novel, Steinbeck is able to demonstrate the wants from different social classes through the construction of characters such as George Milton and Curley’s wife. With these characters, Steinbeck successfully displays the difference in ideas, values and attitudes of certain social classes in the 1930’s and the illustrates the rarity of achieving the American Dream. Steinbeck wrote this novel during the Great Depression, when America was suffering greatly by the disastrous crash of the stock market. From this point in time, separation of the different classes became
Children Of The Great Depression Essay
663 Words | 3 PagesThe great depression made a major impact on the lives of the people that lived through it. One group of people that is often overlooked are children that lived during that time period. When the parents lost their jobs the responsibility the parent once held was put on the children of the families to contribute to the income of the home. Because of this in the great depression “two-fifths of children were employed in part time jobs” (Elder 65). In Glen Elder’s book Children of the Great Depression: Social Change in Life Experience he discusses how the depression affected those children in their later lives.
The Upper Class In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath
451 Words | 2 PagesGrapes of Wrath clearly illustrate the class struggle between workers and the upper class. Steinbeck displays the discrimination between the migrant people and landowners. Migrant workers are handled worse than animals, family’s or “Okies” are starving as food is wasted by the wealthy and the landowners maintain control through violence. “What do you want us to do? We can't take less share of the crop – we're half starved now.
The Winter Of Our Discontent Steinbeck Analysis
1061 Words | 5 PagesIn The Winter of our Discontent by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck discusses what the American dream meant for families in the 1960s. The American dream that most families strived for included a happy marriage, well behaved children, a stable job with a decent paycheck, and a nice house. Every character in the novel has a dream that they wanted to accomplish but could not. Ethan dreamed of wealth and power, but felt guilty in the end because he went too far in trying to reach his goals. Marullo already had his dream, but it was stripped away from him when Ethan reported him to immigration services.
I Am The People, The Mob By Nick Hanauer
711 Words | 3 PagesInequality between social classes has been a problem for humanity since social organization exists. The texts “I Am The People, The Mob” by Carl Sandburg and “The Pitchforks Are Coming… For Us Plutocrats” by Nick Hanauer both address an issue about inequality, relevant for each’s author’s context. While “The Pitchforks Are Coming… For Us Plutocrats” expresses a point of view for higher class people and about a modern-day problem, “I Am The People, The Mob” describes a problem in a context of a century before and for a less wealthy class. Text C, “I Am The People, The Mob” is a poem written in 1916, for an audience of people that were not part of the higher social classes but were oppressed by them.
To Kill A Mockingbird Marxist Analysis
1514 Words | 7 Pages(Lee 269). This shows conflict between classes because white people are giving black people a hard time. Black people were perceived as the lowest class and throughout the story people would treat them as if they were dirt. Being in the lowest class, they would have to do all of the terrible work. They never had a chance to get a good job and be successful because of the white people.
More about Steinbeck The Lower Class Analysis
Dust Bowl Research Paper
979 Words | 4 PagesNew Deal Dbq Essay
564 Words | 3 PagesWhat Caused The Great Depression Dbq Essay
726 Words | 3 PagesThe Great Depression In The Film, Cinderella Man
1279 Words | 6 PagesThe Great Depression And Homelessness In The 1920's
526 Words | 3 PagesHow Did The Great Depression Affect African Americans In The 1930's
510 Words | 3 PagesCauses Of The Great Depression Dbq
880 Words | 4 PagesSocial Injustice In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
513 Words | 3 PagesExamples Of Social Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird
740 Words | 3 PagesSocial Classes In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
833 Words | 4 PagesChildren Of The Great Depression Essay
663 Words | 3 PagesThe Upper Class In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath
451 Words | 2 PagesThe Winter Of Our Discontent Steinbeck Analysis
1061 Words | 5 PagesI Am The People, The Mob By Nick Hanauer
711 Words | 3 PagesTo Kill A Mockingbird Marxist Analysis
1514 Words | 7 Pages