Unemployment Protests

Created by Amelia Folkmire on Mon, 05/06/2024 - 01:37

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Description: 

This photo was taken while during the unemployment protests. Young children were always not in school, they were on the front lines protesting. The school were closed and families had no choice to bring their children. The schools then started operating on reduced hours. Children were hoping railroad cars everyday. Over 200,000 kids were doing this. In total over 12,000,000 people were unemployed during the great depression. The sign itself speaks in volumes. It reads why can't you give my dad a job? Families were primarly having the men in the household bring home the money and without that they were becoming homeless. This child wants his father to be able to hold a job again. Children should not have to worry about these things. The poem that I have chosen for this is called "He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven" by Oliver Tearle. In this poem, Tearle describes about the difference between light and dark and uses the imagry in clothes. He tells us about how about during night and light. "Enwrought with golden and silver light, the blue and the dim and dark cloths." (Tearle) He uses golden and silver light versus blue and dim. It also shows us that the rich are golden and silver with their luxury and the poor are in blues and dim, dark clothes for being in the dark with money trouble. "But I being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; tread softly because you tread on my dreams." (Tearle) In these lines, he says that because he is poor, he lives his dreams through everyone else. He also says that he has to tread softly because they tread on his dreams. Meaning that he must be careful because everyone else will crush them. In conclusion, unemployment is a difficult time for everyone. With that, if you do have hope and dreams they can disapeer. 

Works Cited 

Unemployment Photo https://historycollection.com/30-eye-opening-facts-about-average-life-du...

He Wishes for Cloths of Heaven https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/he-wishes-cloths-heaven/

Copyright: 

©

Associated Place(s)

Part of Group:

Thiel College ENG 235 Sp24

Featured in Exhibit: 

The Great Depression: America in Economic Disaster
Artist Unknown

Image Date: 

1930