How women, blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans, were impacted by the Depression and New Deal

by | Nov 24, 2024 | Essays

 

 

Analyze and discuss how women, blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans, were impacted by the Depression and New Deal

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Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Impact of the Great Depression and New Deal on Disadvantaged Groups

The Great Depression and the subsequent New Deal had a profound impact on various marginalized groups in the United States, including women, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans.  

Women

  • Economic Hardship: Women, particularly those in lower socioeconomic classes, faced significant economic hardship during the Depression. Many lost jobs or were forced to work for lower wages.  
  • New Deal Programs: While some New Deal programs, like the Works Progress Administration (WPA), were initially restricted to men, women did find opportunities in other programs, such as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the National Youth Administration (NYA).

Impact of the Great Depression and New Deal on Disadvantaged Groups

The Great Depression and the subsequent New Deal had a profound impact on various marginalized groups in the United States, including women, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans.  

Women

  • Economic Hardship: Women, particularly those in lower socioeconomic classes, faced significant economic hardship during the Depression. Many lost jobs or were forced to work for lower wages.  
  • New Deal Programs: While some New Deal programs, like the Works Progress Administration (WPA), were initially restricted to men, women did find opportunities in other programs, such as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the National Youth Administration (NYA).
  • Shifting Roles: The Depression accelerated the shift of women into the workforce, particularly in traditionally male-dominated fields. This trend was further solidified by World War II.

African Americans

  • Discrimination and Segregation: African Americans faced systemic discrimination and segregation, which exacerbated their economic hardships during the Depression.  
  • New Deal Programs: While the New Deal offered some relief, it was often administered in a discriminatory manner. African Americans were frequently excluded from programs like the Social Security Act and the Agricultural Adjustment Act.  
  • Civil Rights Movement: The Depression and the New Deal laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. The experiences of African Americans during this period highlighted the need for racial equality and social justice.  

Hispanic Americans

  • Economic Vulnerability: Hispanic Americans, particularly those in agricultural and low-wage jobs, were particularly vulnerable to the economic downturn.  
  • Limited Access to New Deal Programs: Many Hispanic Americans were excluded from New Deal programs due to language barriers, cultural differences, and discriminatory practices.  
  • Labor Exploitation: Hispanic workers, especially those in the Southwest, faced exploitation and low wages.  

Native Americans

  • Continued Marginalization: Native Americans continued to face marginalization and discrimination during the Great Depression.  
  • Indian New Deal: The Indian New Deal, a series of policies implemented during the 1930s, aimed to improve the lives of Native Americans. However, these policies were often met with resistance from tribal leaders and community members.  
  • Economic Dependency: Many Native American communities remained economically dependent on the federal government, which limited their opportunities for self-sufficiency.

While the New Deal provided some relief and opportunities for marginalized groups, it also exposed the deep-seated inequalities and injustices that persisted in American society. The legacy of the Great Depression and the New Deal continues to shape the experiences of these groups today.

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