Migrant Mother: Analysis

Written by Harini Jayaram

Jan 16, 2025

Migrant Mother: Analysis

Taken by the famed photographer Dorothea Lange, the picture encapsulates the juxtaposing hardships and essential hope of the Great Depression. A mother sits with her four children, desperate to live, but restricted by the economic crisis of the time. It tells the story of many immigrants living in the United States during this time period of the Great Depression. There is nothing but her family’s lives to be lost, and she must keep hope out of desperation rather than of dreaming. The closeness of the family goes to portray the necessary sense of community that the American people needed to form during this difficult time. From this photograph, we learn of the importance of our economy, of how people’s livelihoods depend on it thriving, and how, regardless of our own financial status, we must always look for improvement to better the lives of every community, for this is not a trivial issue to the poverty stricken.