Blog 11: Writing Project 1

The 1930s marked a decade of disparity and hopelessness in the United States. America was going through the Great Depression. The stock market had crashed and the economy was suffering severely. Jobs were scarce and it was hard for people to even get the essential things they needed to survive. Needless to say, I’m sure the mood throughout the whole country was somber. The government was doing what they could to solve the problem. Even though some reforms seemed to be promising, people were losing faith. World War II was the event that initially brought the United States out of this deep economic slump. Although America was not officially involved in the actual fighting that was going on in Europe, the supplies needed by the warring countries were manufactured by industries in the United States. This created a large amount of jobs, thus stimulating the economy and pulling the U. S. out of the Great Depression. The atmosphere throughout the country probably did a complete change to optimistic and hopeful. I think the photograph A soldier and a woman in a park, with the Old [Russell] Senate Office Building behind them, Washington, D.C. (LOC) demonstrates this change in attitude among people living in the United States during the early 1940s.This picture was taken in 1943 by photographers who were working for the government. The Farm Security Administration, later known as the Office of War Information, was documenting life in the United States between 1939 and 1944. They then made these images into transparencies. The individual photographer’s name was not included with the information about the picture. The location is Washington D.C. The identity of the woman and the soldier were not given. The white building in the background is the Old Russel Senate Building (location) located northeast of the Capitol Building. WWII began September 3, 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. By 1943 when this photograph was taken the United States had already officially entered the war on December 8, 1941 after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.
There are several technical elements incorporated into this photograph that help support the argument that people in the 1940s were in much higher spirits than in the 1930s. Lighting, hue and contrast are three photographical elements that can be considered while looking at this photo. This picture was taken using only natural lighting from the sun. This gives the picture a high amount of brightness and makes the image more crisp and realistic. The hues in this photograph are strong. There are not very many colors in the photograph but each one is its own very distinguishable hue. The sky is a light blue, the building is a bright white and the pavement and concrete are also a light gray hue that seems to reflect the natural light from the sun. The dark hues in the picture are found in the trees, bushes and the clothing worn by the two people. However this creates a nice contrast between the lighter colors. These elements start to develop pathos. The combination of brightness, hue and contrast gives the picture a cheery and warm feeling. It is not depressing in the least to look at. It makes you want to enjoy your surroundings, the outdoors and just simply life itself.
The second technical element that helps develop the argument further is the vectors of attention in the picture. There are two main subjects in the photograph, the two people and the Old Senate Building. Even though they are located off the left side of the photograph, I think the main vector of attention out of the two is the woman and the soldier. The woman is sitting facing the photographer. She is sitting very poised professional and polite. Her body language seems relaxed. She has a smile on her face and seems to be enjoying her time just sitting. There does not seem to be any emotion of worry or displeasure. The soldier looks to be as equally relaxed and carefree. He is sitting on the ledge with one knee propped up and his elbow resting on it. He is also almost a little slouched in regards to posture. This is a very casual pose which agrees with the worry free mood this photograph could be portraying. His attention is not directed toward the photographer, but instead he is looking at the woman. He is also smiling and appearing to be enjoying himself. I think the way these two are interacting within the photo also reflects upon the kind of mood the country was in during the 1940s. He is most definitely looking at her, yet she is appearing to be ignoring him to some degree. However, I think she is well aware that he is looking at her. They almost seem playful with one another. The 1930s were, for the most part, serious because of the Great Depression. During the 1940s when the economy started to flourish again people were probably ready to have some fun and enjoy not having to constantly worry.
The second vector of attention, the Old Russel Senate Building, is also something that can be incorporated into the argument of the change to more positive attitudes during the 1940s. This building is a government building that holds the offices of the United States’ senators. To me, including this building in the picture is like representing the government. During the 1930s the government was battling a suffering economy. In my opinion, during times of struggle, like citizens of America were facing during the Great Depression, governments and governmental leaders often are blamed for the hardships individuals are facing. Herbert Hoover was in office during the beginning of the Great Depression. He lost support during the early 1930s and was not re-elected. Instead Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected in 1932 and remained in office until his death in 1945. He is given credit for starting to reverse the struggling economy by issuing his policies like the New Deal and the Second New Deal. This fits into the argument because the people’s attitudes towards the government began to change during and after the Great Depression. When people have a government they can trust and believe in I think they are more likely to be happy and more relaxed. I think this reflects in the woman and the soldier’s facial expressions and body language.
The 1940’s marked a decade of change. The United States was a completely different place than it had been in the 1930s. Everything was different, from the way people dressed to the jobs they had. World War II had a significant amount of influence in this change that swept the nation. A soldier and a woman in a park, with the Old [Russell] Senate Office Building behind them, Washington, D.C. (LOC) communicates through a few simple elements of photography how these changes affected the people living in the United States during this time. In general I think this picture shows how people were simply happier during the 1940s. Although the United States was involved in a world war overseas, there was promise in the day to come, people had jobs and something to look forward to. It was a time of change, but this change was obviously for the better in the eyes of American citizens.