The Great Depression is seen as one of the most sorrowful and desolate times in the history of the United States. This time was the longest period of recession ever seen by this nation so far. It lasted from 1929 to 1939, over ten years of complete confusion and despondency within the people. Many Americans were affected greatly by this tragic time and sacrificed much of their lives so that they and their families may have the chance to live. This act of desperation can be seen throughout the movie, The Cinderella Man, where a professional boxer, Jim Braddock, becomes crippled by the depression, both economically and spiritually. The observer can see this through the explicit cinematography of the movie and depiction of the Great Depression made by the director. However the director left out a key aspect of the happenings of the depression, the stock market crash. Perhaps, this catastrophic event was irrelevant to the plot and message of the movie, but it is important to the actual Great Depression of the United States. Furthermore, the nation of 2010 is well on its way to repeating history. There are frightening similarities between that dreadful time of the 1930’s and the present that should not be overlooked, or the United States might condemn itself back into that horrific state it has so long tried to avoid. The stock market crash of 1929 is the primary event that led to the collapse of stability in the nation and ultimately paved the road to the Great Depression. The crash was a wide range of causes that varied throughout the prosperous times of the 1920’s. There were consumers buying on margin, too much faith in businesses and government, and most felt there were large expansions in the stock market. Because of all these... ... middle of paper ... ...d gas and with the increase in oil prices, more money is being taken away from the people. It is evident that although we may be entering into a recession on different terms than the one before, the United States is still in danger of once again becoming a victim of another Great Depression. The Great Depression is a time in the history of the United States that people have learned and gained knowledge from. Its harsh times and conflicts have been written about in books, seen in movies, talked about on radios, and told to families throughout the generations. Seeing how life was during the 1930s in the movie, The Cinderella Man, was a great eye opener to how the people of this time truly survived and kept their true humanity in times of havoc. The time of the 1930s should be an inspiration to the nation and cause many to do well and live life smart and prosperous.
The Great Depression is one of the worst time for America. Books, cartoons, and articles have been written about the people during the Depression and how they survived in that miserable period. For example, the book Bud not Buddy takes place in the time of the Great Depression. Bud is a ten year old orphan, who was on the run trying to find his dad. There are many feelings throughout the book like sadness and scarceness. There are many diverse tones in the book about what people were feeling at the time.
The Great Depression was a long lasting economic downturn in the history of the Western industrialized world. It all began after the stock market crashed in October of 1929. The crash sent Wall Street into a total panic that wiped out millions of investors around the country. Through out the next several years, a lot of consumer spending and investments dropped dramatically which caused huge levels of unemployment and many companies laid off their workers. By 1933 the Great Depression hit it all time low. About 13 to 15 million Americans were unemployed and roughly half of the country’s banks had failed. In “The Piano Lesson” a play that is set in the 1930’s, the characters were somewhat affected by the taking of the Great Depression.
The great depression was a very sad and hard time. This was a time where people had little money, no available jobs and just had a hard time with everything. Many people had nd any way to make money whether it was cutting kid’s hair in neighborhood, picking fruit, selling iron cords house to house or even painting a house for 5 dollars. Even though this was a very hard time some people still had hope that things would get better. This was a really bad time until Franklin Roosevelt who was for the government supporting the Americans and not the other way around became president.
The film, the Cinderella Man is a biographical film following the life of boxer James J. Braddock during the Great Depression. Movies such as Seabiscuit always over-exaggerate the horrible lives of people during the Great Depression. However, the Cinderella man correctly shows the life through the 1930s and accurately portrays the struggles during the Great Depression. The director, Ron Howard, depicts the depression perfectly and gives the viewer a sense of what life was like during that time by using emotions, body language as well as technical appearance.
Since being founded, America became a capitalist society. Being a capitalist society obtains luxurious benefits and rather harsh consequences if gone bad. In a capitalist society people must buy products and spend money to keep the economy balanced, but once those people stop spending money, the economy goes off balance and the nation enters a recession. Once a recession drastically takes a downturn, the nation enters what is known as a depression. In 2008 America entered a recession and its consequences were severe enough for some people, such as President Barack Obama, to compare the recent crisis to the world’s darkest economic depression in history, the Great Depression. Although the Great Depression and the Great Recession of 2008 hold similarities and differences between the stock market and government spending, political issues, lifestyle changes, and wealth distribution, the Great Depression proved far more detrimental consequences than the Recession.
The author does a good job of illustrating that the Great Depression was meant to have a light at the end of the tunnel. However, his writing is weakened by the presence of generalization and overuse of common knowledge. The author’s question would simply be: “how did the cultural shift (film, writings, art, and music) unknowingly change America’s perspective and outlook towards the Depression?” Dickstein was able to answer this clearly in the conclusion. He claims that during this economic crisis Franklin D Roosevelt wanted to promote “courage to face up to the social crisis, empathy for the sufferings of others, a break with past thinking about how we ought to live” (Dickstein 524). Dickstein believes that the films helped instill those attributes unknowingly in the American people. The most effective example referenced by Dickstein is The Wizard of Oz. The qualities that the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Scarecrow demanded (a heart, courage, and a brain) were qualities that Americans needed to get through the eras economic crisis. The characters in the film undergo various trials as they follow the Yellow Brick Road to Emerald City; from the road of the Great Depression to the Promised Land. It was the explanation as to why the last few years of the 1930s were strangely optimistic. The author’s evidence at first felt some things were unaddressed, but as the book came to an end, it felt complete. The author’s conclusions makes sense because it connects to readers in the present. As he referenced The Wizard of Oz, he was able to show how Americans were able to find those optimistic traits in themselves. It’s by working together and using their own strengths to find their way home that encouraged people to keep their heads up. This will convince the reader because media in today’s society has the same effect on influencing people, whether it be
Cinderella Man is a flim based on the rise of World Championship boxer James Braddock. Braddock's life was affected heavily by the great depression, and the film does well to show this. The film also does a good job of chronicling the life of the everyday man during the great depression. This essay aims to discuss the role of the stock market crash in the beginning of the great depression, the effects of the depression on the life of the everyday man, and the effects of the depression on the life of James J Braddock and his family.
Cinderella Man takes place during the Great Depression. James Braddock, who truly is a family man, will do anything to both support and feed his kids. James and his family are first doing very well off when his boxing career is flourishing. James is supporting his family through his boxing because he cannot get a job at the dock. Jame’s wife really hates how James is putting himself in this position in order for his kids to eat and stay warm, but without his winnings from boxing, they would be hungry and cold. The only reason he boxes is because when the economy is dropping dramastically, many businesses are forced to cut people off from working due to the demand for most products to be dropping. James, just like many people
“For those born after the 1930’s, the Great Depression is something that can be visualized only though photography and film. Certain images have come to define our view of that uncertain time: an anxious migrant mother with her three small children; a farmer and his sons struggling through a dust storm; a family of sharecroppers gathered outside their Spartan home” (This Great Nation Will Endure). Today’s mass media focuses on the harsh, extreme images of the Great Depression and fails to portray the happy, positive aspects of American life during the 1930’s.
Cinderella Man, released in 2005, stars Russell Crowe playing James J. Braddock. James is a husband, father, and a champion boxer. In the late 1920’s, the Braddock family is very well off. James or The Bulldog of Bergen is becoming more and more popular with each fight. He is able to bring home more than enough money to support him and his family, then the Great Depression hits. Even though Braddock is a wealthy, nationally known man, him and his family fall into the crisis. They move out of their large, luxurious house into tiny, cheap apartments. James and Mae Braddock try to still make the best of their situation for their three kids. In this time period women commonly stayed home and men went to work. The Bulldog of Bergen is no longer fighting and he is forced to pick up odd jobs on the docks. Simple essentials become difficult for the Braddock’s to afford, utilities begin to turn off on them because of unpaid bills. James’ only hope is to get back into the ring so he can afford to provide for his family. Throughout the rest of the Depression, James trains his hardest to try and regain his boxing status again.
“Stock Market Crash of 1929.” Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History. Ed. Thomas Carson and Mary Bonk. Detroit: Gale, 1999. U.S. History in Context. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.
The film Cinderella Man follows an ex-boxer named Jim Braddock living in America during the Great Depression. The film provides a shocking yet accurate look at what life was like for the citizens living during this time. Finding a job was difficult, and providing enough food for their families was a struggle; with all these economic problems people had to face, it left people with almost no money to spend recreationally. With so many people out of employment and broke, the demand for cheap entertainment methods boomed during these years. People started to create art, music, and film, that was enjoyed at a cheap price. This was not only a good way that citizens were able to entertain themselves but also a way for the government to create more jobs
“The buying frenzy continued through mid-1929 in stocks and trusts, with most investors becoming drunk on profits and oblivious to the instability of the market” (George 29). President Coolidge’s presidency was coming to an end and “President Coolidge neither knew nor cared what was going on…he had comforted himself with the thought that this was the primary responsibility of the Federal Reserve Board” (George 26). On October 29, 1929 the stock market crashes sending the United States into an economic depression. The definition of “The Great Depression – this period of high unemployment, poverty, broken families, low profits, and few opportunities for growth and personal advancement – lasted from mid-1929 to late 1941, and its effects struck not only the United States but the entire world” (George 8). The American people were in shock and their lives were all of a sudden turned upside down with lots of uncertainty in their
The Great Depression was a very difficult time in American history. The Great Depression was the longest and most severe depression that was experienced in the Western World. The movie Riding the Rails is a good example of times during this depression. The movie presents a story of ten men and women in their youth, who gave their accounts about leaving their homes in search of a better life. I think Riding the Rails gives a very clear and accurate view of how life was for young teenagers during these historical times.
The Great Depression was the deepest and longest-lasting economic downfall in the history of the United States. No event has yet to rival The Great Depression to the present day, although we have had recessions in the past, and some economic panics, fears. Thankfully, the United States of America has had its share of experiences from the foundation of this country and throughout its growth, many economic crises have occurred. In the United States, the Great Depression began soon after the stock market crash of October 1929, which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions of investors ("The Great Depression."). In turn, from this single tragic event, numerous amounts of chain reactions occurred.