The Great Depression In The Film Cinderella Man

The Great Depression was a time in American history where economic difficulties affected almost every person. It could turn the “best of the best” into just another beggar on the street. It is difficult for a movie to portray the true struggles of people who lives during that time. Although Cinderella Man is a fictional account of the life of Ray Braddock, it is an accurate portrayal of the problems faced by many Americans during the Great Depression. The struggles of daily life during the depression, references to problems later addressed by the New Deal, and social issues brought on by the Great Depression are all realistically described in this movie. James Braddock, the main character of the film, is a boxer from New York City, where

Foreclosure was a big problem during the Great Depression. People who were not working could not pay their mortgage and then were evicted from their homes.

Many people looked to the federal government for assistance, but, especially before the government set up assistance programs, when the government failed to provide assistance many people “the shantytowns that cropped up across the nation, primarily on the outskirts of major cities, became known as Hoovervilles” (Lears 2). Hoovervilles were constructed of cardboard, tar paper, glass, lumber, tin and whatever other materials people could salvage. “Most shanties, however, were distinctly less glamorous: Cardboard-box homes did not last long, and most dwellings were in a constant state of being rebuilt” (Lears 2).

Life in the Hoovervilles varied. Some Hoovervilles were big and some were small, they were most commonly placed in big cities like New York or Washington D.C. More often than not Hoovervilles were operated in an unorderly

Braddock has to go to old friends and beg for money. He is trying to find a way to pay his rent, pay for the heat and be able to bring his family back together after his children have to go to live with their grandparents. Many families were divided if parents could not support their children. Later in the movie, although ashamed, he waits in line with many others to receive relief in the form of cash from a government agency. As part of the New Deal, Franklin Roosevelt’s plan to bring the government gave direct relief to citizens that were struggling. “In May of 1933, Congress created the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, to make grants to local agencies that aided those impoverished by the Depression” (Foner 867). Struggling New Yorkers are given cash payments to help them get through the hard times.

Although times were hard, many people relied on local communities and churches to help them survive the Great Depression. The neighbors in the movie are supportive of each other; they all have the same financial struggles and they all have the same goals, to be able to work and take care of their families. The Catholic Church is an important part of the community in Cinderella Man. The church has birthday parties for children at the church and the priest helps the family of a man that is killed in a Hooverville. Neighbors gather in