Joe Wang, Cierra Scott, Madeline Valdes, Melissa Potter How did the Great Depression & the New Deal influence art & literature? Did literature during the 1930’s present a positive or negative view of American Society? Joe Wang, Cierra Scott, Madeline Valdes, Melissa Potter
Edward Hopper Federal Theatre Project (FTP) 1935 NY artist Genre: Realism (1942) Nighthawks WPA sponsered Theatre production jobs Goal: To employ unemplyed artists, writers, directors
Grant Wood Thomas Hart Benton American Gothic (1930) Facial Expression Stress Muralist Realism Midwest content/roots Country’s New Duet Group
1930s Literature: Steinbeck and Wright Federal Works Project (FWP) Employed writers to create guides and write about immigrants, ethnic groups, South slavery Helped Richard Wright achieve in writing Native Son (1940) About challenges of a man in world of racism FWP helped John Steinbeck Steinbeck published The Grapes of Wrath (1939) Focuses on Okies fleeing Dust Bowl Okies go to California and face hardships
1930s Literature: Positive View Let Us Now Praise Famous Men (1941) –James Agee, Walker Evans Farmers’ dignity Our Town (1938) –Thornton Wilder Beauty of New England Gone with the Wind (1936) –Margaret Mitchell Virtues of American culture
1930s Literature: Negative View Studs Lonigan Trilogy (1932-35) –James T. Farnell Irish immigrant workers’ lives U.S.A. (1930-36) –John dos Passos Selfish rich class vs. nation’s promise The Disinherited (1933) –John Conroy Missouri coalfields violence Self-experience
KEY TERMS WPA: Works Program Admin.- employed artists to do literacy projects to educate America Federal Writer’s Project: funded writers (part of the New Deal.) Federal Theater Project: funded artists
TIMELINE 1930- 45 1936- Gone with the Wind (book) 1940- Native Sun 1935- WPA 1939- Grapes of Wrath 1936- Gone with the Wind (book) 1930- American Gothic 1940- Native Sun 1942- Nighthawks 1930- 45
Photography
Question 1 What is the basis of Richard Wright’s book Native Son? A. An African American’s life in a racist world B. Lives of Okies (people who fled from the Dust Bowl) in California C. The hardships of farmers D.A young boy’s adventures with a Native American E. Wright’s tragic romantic past
A. An African American’s life in a racist world Answer 1 A. An African American’s life in a racist world
Question 2 What genre of art surfaced in the 1930s? A. Realism B. Modernism C. Impressionism D. Romanticism E. Rococo
Answer 2 B. Modernism