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Movie: The Grapes Of Wrath - The People And The Depression

Movie: The Grapes Of Wrath - The people and the Depression


In the movie The grapes of Wrath, the Joads undergo the hit of the
depression, they have to leave their farm. They go to California for jobs, but
find there are few jobs, and it pays little, or at least less then what they
were told. The government tried to start programs to house and employ people
like the Joads. Since the people who already lived in the cities in which these
developments were put didn't want them there anyway, they tried to start a riot
and have the police Arrest them. Although in the movie the plan was foiled, it
could have worked in many other places, or the towns folk could have just
created a lynch mob, and eventually the people living in the development would
leave.
I believe that the economic situation of the country has a great effect
on the fall, or succession of people like the Joads, but I don't believe
government programs will effect them at all. For example, the great depression
was a major economical event, and it greatly effected more then just people like
the Joads, but programs like the public works administration which employed
people for government construction projects. Another program, the Works
Progress Administration, later called the Works Projects Administration was
created to develop relief programs, and to keep a person's skills. From 1935-
1943, it employed 8 million people, and spent 11 billion dollars. But in 1939,
there were still 9.5 million still unemployed. Another program was the Civilian
Conservation Corps. Unemployed, unmarried young men were enlisted to work on
conservation and resource-development projects such as soil conservation, flood
control, and protection of forests and wildlife. These men were provided with
food, lodging, and other necessities, and were given a small monthly salary.
Another program was the CWA, the civil works administration. It employed more
then 4 million workers to build and repair roads, and teach in...