Within this photograph, there are a variety of elements that engage with the viewer as to how accurate the Great Depression had an impact on Americans themselves. The advertisement board behind the people states that 'There's no way like the American Way' when discussing the world's highest standard of living. Segregation was still occurring within America at this time, and the contrast between the living standards of the African-Americans compared to the White family seen within the advertisement potentially suggests that the iconic family life and the 'American Way' of high standards of living was not applicable to African-Americans and therefore created tension within society.
In Levine's 'Photography and the History of American People in the 1930s and 1940s' paper, he states that President Hoover said "no one is starving" within America and that the American people had recovered from this decade of poverty and unemployment. However, we can see that within this juxtaposition that in 1937 the Great Depression still had long lasting implications on the people as seen above. While these people are queuing in a line for bread, we can analyse their clothes, their body language which gives further detail as to how these people are suffering. The men within this photo are all wearing hats, long coats and have shoes that are fit for purpose alongside this, are the few women wearing fur coats (far left) and kitten heel boots (right) and therefore, it raises the questions of to what extent are the people of America actually suffering from the Great Depression? Are they below the poverty line? Are the people in these photos all unemployed or do some of them work within the Alphabet Agencies or elsewhere?
Levine continues in his journal that the people of America became known as "unemployed men, desperate mothers and ragged children" within society who had not successfully overcome the misfortune of the Depression. It is well-known that prior to this photo being processed in 1937, that America was financially unstable with unemployment at 23.6% in 1932, the industrial stocks lost 80% of their value and that 40% of American banks had failed significantly and had not recovered.
In Levine's 'Photography and the History of American People in the 1930s and 1940s' paper, he states that President Hoover said "no one is starving" within America and that the American people had recovered from this decade of poverty and unemployment. However, we can see that within this juxtaposition that in 1937 the Great Depression still had long lasting implications on the people as seen above. While these people are queuing in a line for bread, we can analyse their clothes, their body language which gives further detail as to how these people are suffering. The men within this photo are all wearing hats, long coats and have shoes that are fit for purpose alongside this, are the few women wearing fur coats (far left) and kitten heel boots (right) and therefore, it raises the questions of to what extent are the people of America actually suffering from the Great Depression? Are they below the poverty line? Are the people in these photos all unemployed or do some of them work within the Alphabet Agencies or elsewhere?
Levine continues in his journal that the people of America became known as "unemployed men, desperate mothers and ragged children" within society who had not successfully overcome the misfortune of the Depression. It is well-known that prior to this photo being processed in 1937, that America was financially unstable with unemployment at 23.6% in 1932, the industrial stocks lost 80% of their value and that 40% of American banks had failed significantly and had not recovered.
This is reinforced with Levine's analysis that unemployment remained 'critically high' until America entered World War Two in 1941. Although it solved the unemployment crisis within the 1930s, the aftermath of the war remained unclear as to what America's next step would be.
To conclude, the lack of emotions within the photograph clearly suggests that these people are not living the 'American Way' of lifestyle, since their own lifestyle is disorganised with no definitive outcome in the near future, by the majority of the people not directly facing the photographer Margaret Bourke White as she photographed on behalf of 'Fortune' magazine, suggests that they are ashamed of the life they lead and do not wish to be seen by the wider audience as to how they live.
To conclude, the lack of emotions within the photograph clearly suggests that these people are not living the 'American Way' of lifestyle, since their own lifestyle is disorganised with no definitive outcome in the near future, by the majority of the people not directly facing the photographer Margaret Bourke White as she photographed on behalf of 'Fortune' magazine, suggests that they are ashamed of the life they lead and do not wish to be seen by the wider audience as to how they live.
Sources:
Levine, L.W., "Photography and the History of American People in the 1930s and 1940s" in 'The History and the Icon', (London, University of California Press, 1988).
White, M. B., "World's Highest Standard of Living", 1937.
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