Critical Reaction Post #6
Our focus throughout this module has been analyzing primary source evidence. When looking at primary sources that emerged during the Great Depression, especially the pictures, we can gain a very valuable insight into the lives of the people who lived during this difficult time.
There are many critical questions that we must ask when analyzing these primary sources. It’s very beneficial to first ask some basic questions in order to gain a base understanding about the piece of evidence. This would include questions such as, what is it? Who wrote it or made it? When was it written or made? Where was it written or made? How was it written or made? And so on. We have to ask these questions first and foremost because it’s important to recognize where the source is coming from. Without having the background knowledge of who, what, where, when and how, further inquiry is impossible. This general information is the “fact” part of a given source. The answers to these questions are unchanging, and they lead us into more serious and in-depth inquiry further down the line. For example, after answering these questions, we can begin to ask additional questions such as, why was it written or made? What resulted from it being written or made? Who was the intended audience? What questions does the source raise? What outside information do we have about the source? Could other sources supplement our understanding of this source? What else was going on during that time period that could have influenced the source in any way? What bias did the creator of the source have? How does evidence from this source affect already existing interpretations of this time period? And so on.
For example, we can look at the “Migrant Mother” photograph. We can answer some basic questions about it right off the bat. It’s a photograph that was taken by Dorothea Lange on March 6, 1936. It was taken in Nipomo, California, right outside of a pea pickers camp, as part of Lange’s work with the Farm Security Administration. The people in the picture were Florence Owens Thompson and 3 of her children. This knowledge gives us a basis for further, more in-depth inquiry. Since the picture was taken, we’ve gained more background information surrounding the circumstances in which it was taken. The family featured in the photo was not a part of the pea picker community as was originally thought. They were actually on their way to lettuce fields in California when their vehicle broke down, coincidentally, next to a pea pickers field. We’ve also discovered that the family featured in this photo was actually better off than the actual pea pickers living in that camp at the time. This fact was kind of interesting to me, given that the photo of this family was the one that resulted in aid for the pea picker community instead of a photo of the actual pea pickers who had it worse. This picture being taken and distributed helped start a relief movement that ended up saving many people from starvation, including the people who lived on the pea pickers field. Other sources, such as the additional 5 photos taken of this family, can help us tremendously in the analyzation of this source. With these additional 5 photos, we are able to gain a better understanding of what the camp looked like directly around the family, we are also able to see some of the other family members, the vehicle they drove, the food they’re cooking, and the lean-to Florence built.
We can also acknowledge that this photograph, like any other photograph taken, is not an entire story, let alone an entire life. It is simply one frame in a much larger and more complicated picture. Only the people who are in the picture are able to fully understand the complexities of their own life during the time in which a picture is taken. This case study helped me realize that there are so many different perspectives and opinions that have been considered in the analyzing of this photograph, and though all are valuable, none is as valuable as Florence Owens Thompson’s herself. In history, it’s hard, if not impossible, to completely and fully understand any given situation. The further back in time you look, the less primary source evidence you will find. As technology has advanced, there are more opportunities to find valuable primary source evidence, such as videos, recordings, interviews, and so on. These sources, compared to letters, documents, news articles, and even photographs, are easier to get a larger portion of a story from. However, no matter how much research is done, or how many questions are asked, the full story may never be uncovered.
