Question

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Looking back how did the cultural products of the Great Depression serve to reflect, shape, and assuage Americans’ fears and concerns during this volatile period? How do our cultural products—such as books, movies, and music—reflect and reinforce our values in our own times? What was the New Deal? the 2nd New Deal? Any difference in them? Did Roosevelt face any challenges with the African Americans? What is going on there? Do we see any impact of these today? Let'

Answer 1

As more and more people were unemployed, there was an increase in books being read and people going to the movies. There were books regarding misfortunes and rich people succumbing to failure because of losses and how the protagonist dealt with it. Movies were made of heroes succumbing to market and people forces, providing a distraction to the audience and making it relatable.

In this time, books, music and movies reflect things which are not said clearly by the citizens or are too afraid to mention them. They convey it when audiences interpret it in different ways, waking up the conscience and reality of life.

New deal was taken up by the then president to restore prosperity by reforming wall street, providing relief for farmers and unemployed, and social security measures.

The 2nd new deal was taken up to speed up the economic recovery, and focus on economic security and social reform.

Major difference was mainly that much more was accomplished in the first deal as the country needed urgent action, second deal was to stabilise the process.

He did face challenges as the atrocities did not seem to end against African Americans. But the racism issue was fully opened out and became a national issue during this period and their grievances were listened to. The injustices have continued against African Americans even to this day, even though the proportion has reduced.