Images of Loss

(image link here.)

As we continue our work with Nathanael West's The Day of the Locust, we have spent some time in class furthering our understanding of the Great Depression of the 1930's in order to better contextualize some of the themes of the novel. The glitz and glamour projected by Hollywood during this time, known as the Golden Age of Film, was vastly different from the fear, uncertainty, and poverty that most Americans were experiencing in reality. Did Hollywood serve a specific purpose by offering escapism through the films that were produced, or did they numb Americans, offering a quick relief from the pain of the Great Depression that only ached more once the shine of the film-going experience wore off? These are things West is thinking about in the novel.

For this week's blog entry, I want students to better understand the reality of America at this time as it will help them balance the typical Depression experience against both the fantasy and reality presented by Hollywood that West is examining. Students should spend some time looking through the photos on this website, which features over forty fascinating color images from around America during the Great Depression. Once you have looked through them all, copy and paste the image that impacted you the most into your own blog post and write about why you chose it. Also address how the image fits into our ongoing discussion about fantasy versus reality in The Day of the Locust.