Tramp And The Great Depression

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Chaplin utilizes his performance as the Tramp character to illustrate the hardships that the upper class brought to the working class. In his dancing scene, Chaplin presents a series of gestures that relay to the audience the various perspectives of those living under the Great Depression. Through his gestures, he creates caricatures of those affected by the Great Depression: specifically those who are benefitting and those who are suffering. Chaplin’s Tramp character depicts the stereotypical boss of a company by making a motion that suggests a large belly, a mustache and amusement. In his selection of characteristics unique to this stereotype, Chaplin’s character imparts the idea that the bosses are fat, as they have generated enough income …show more content…

He reveals to the audience the darker side as he expresses to the audience the role that the working class is forced into. The Tramps demure motion and pleading expression symbolize how the upper class view the working class: as nothing more than willing servants who live to tend to the needs of the wealthy. That depiction of the working class is inaccurate, as Chaplin attempts to take a break from work and is disgruntled when he is called back by the boss on the big screen (). Following that encounter, there is a worker’s union rally protesting the unfair treatment of workers, but they are quickly shut down by the authorities. Though there have been attempts to draw attention to the struggles of the working man, the upper class dismisses the working class and their complaints, as demonstrated by the shushing and head patting motion. Shortly after, Chaplin does a hand smacking motion, as if to stop someone from doing something they were not supposed to be doing. This signifies to the audience that the upper class perceive the working class as people who are not unlike children, in that they tend to protest when they don’t get what they want. This, of course, irritates the upper class, as well as the authorities who are greatly inconvenienced by the

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