Perseverance In 1930s America

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“Fight or flight? If I had wings, there’d be no choice,” said author Jarod Kintz, “But since I don’t have wings, I have to rely on my cape, and a long running start,” The people of the 1930s faced challenges that many would run from, but the majority of the people in the United States chose to “put on their cape,” fight, and persevere against the obstacles in their path. According to the dictionary, perseverance is a quality someone has if they strive to achieve something despite challenges or failure. Events such as the start of World War II, the Hindenburg crash, and the Memorial Day Massacre in Chicago show the struggle in the ’30s, although there were some good events, such as the Empire State Building being built and Prohibition coming …show more content…

A lot of husbands and fathers could not provide for their families during the Great Depression, so children and wives were forced to get jobs (Batchelor 777). Additionally, in an effort to save money, families would grow their own food, and reuse everything they could. This would include resoling shoes with cardboard and patching and handing down old clothes (“The 1930s” 1). Interestingly, during this time the entertainment industry, particularly Hollywood, thrived with eighty million people going to the movies every week to distract themselves from the problems they faced (Batchelor 778; “The 1930s” 3). Americans during the Depression lived simply so they could afford the necessities of life. In addition, lots of Americans chose watching movies as a way of coping with their financial struggles, allowing them to take a break from worrying. Coping is a form of perseverance that can be seen as ignoring the problem. However, coping suggests that the individual has not given up, but is finding ways to deal with the stress that comes with enduring many challenges. The 1930s proved to be a difficult time, but the people of the United States rose to the challenge and

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