During the 1920s, life was truly extravagant. The United States economy was thriving and due to a surplus of money, Americans were able to buy practically anything they wanted or needed. However, this soon came crashing down. In 1929, the stock market plummeted and sent the entire world crashing into economic hardship. Impacting nearly everyone in the world, this became known as the Great Depression. This just happens to take place during Susan Glaspell’s life. During the depression, Glaspell moved to Chicago where she became the Midwest Bureau Director of the Federal Theatre Project. The project aimed to reemploy theatrical workers who were relying on public relief rolls.
The depression impacted the lives of nearly all American writers. While their primary focus was often to be creative and invent new works to entertain the American people, they had to alter their focus. Amid this crisis, writers’ focuses shifted to taking care of their family in a valiant attempt to avoid poverty or even survive. In fact, due to the extreme prices of food and the skyrocketing unemployment rate, people would become extremely malnourished. This, nonetheless, was extremely unhealthy and could even lead to death. Thus, drastically decreasing the amount of works in which writers were able to produce throughout this heart wrenching decade.
Works Cited:
“About This Collection: Federal Theatre Project, 1935 to 1939: Digital Collections: Library of Congress.” The Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/collections/federal-theatre-project-1935-to-1939/about-this…. Accessed 11 Apr. 2024.
“What Caused the Great Depression?” Saint Louis Fed Eagle, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, 11 Dec. 2022, www.stlouisfed.org/the-great-depression/curriculum/economic-episodes-in….