No Promises In The Wind Analysis

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Recommended: What is the role of the father in the family

Jacob M. Padgett
Professor Jennifer Padgett
English 105
09 December 2016

The Emotional Effects of the Great Depression
Does a father love his son? Josh wondered if his father loved him many days during his younger years, and love takes on a whole new meaning in Irene Hunt’s book No Promises in the Wind. The book starts out in Chicago in 1932 during the Great Depression period, times are tough as Josh’s father is without work and putting a simple meal on the table is a blessing. Josh also finds himself resenting his brother Joey because when he was born was when all happiness in the family ended, due to Joey’s many medical problems. This is one of the reasons that prompts Josh and his friend Howie to run away and find a better life, while Joey …show more content…

On one instance they met a farmer and his wife, and while the wife invited them to dinner, the husband was reluctant at first do to money being tight because there were no jobs. Josh then says, “Maybe we shouldn’t, Joey and I don’t want to take food you need.” The farmer immediately replies no and invites them to his house for dinner. Josh and Joey almost starved on many occasions and sometimes the only way to stay alive was to eat food out of the garbage cans. Josh never told Joey this is where some of the food came from because it pained him to think about it, and Josh always made Joey stay behind on these occasions, so he would not see him picking garbage cans in desperation. Sadly, what was humiliating was having to go door to door and have people watch as one begs for food in order to stay alive another day. Josh noticed that after only a few weeks how all he thought about was food, and this is another similarity between Josh and his father. All Josh’s father thought about was putting food on the table, and Josh never realized how it could consume one till he had to experience it himself. To wrap up, one can see how begging for food is demeaning and how it can leave one with emotional scars, but it also makes one thankful for the simple necessities in …show more content…

Also, we see how Howie’s death traumatized Josh and Joey and they carried the effects of this experience for the rest of their lives. Again, one sees how begging for food to stay alive can cause painful and emotional scars although in many instances the shame weighs down more than the physical hardships itself. Working long hours is taxing but having to sing, play a piano, and dance makes it all the more exhausting. To wrap up, even though Josh did not have many affections for his father, he later realizes how similar they are, and how much his father loves and cares for him which later prompts Josh and Joey to go home to their

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