"Meet John Doe" and the Great Depression Analytical Essay by scribbler
"Meet John Doe" and the Great Depression
A look at Frank Capra's film "Meet John Doe" and how it relates to the Depression.
# 151997
| 1,213 words
| 2 sources
| MLA
| 2012
| 
Published
on Nov 09, 2012
in
History
(U.S. The 1930's - Great Depression)
, Film
(Analysis, Criticism, Etc.)
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Description:
This paper reviews and analyzes Frank Capra's 1941 film, "Meet John Doe" which portrays an optimistic conception of the common, 'forgotten' man during America's Great Depression. First, the paper gives a basic plot summary of the film, noting the main characters and their roles in advancing the action. Then,the paper highlights various conflicts with these characters and the themes they represent. Next, the paper explores issues associated with the Depression, such as homelessness and poverty. Finally, the paper describes the climax of the film and how some of its conflicts were resolved.
From the Paper:
"Furthermore, although John is hungry, he is not filled with passion against the evils of the world. His simplicity and purity of heart initially makes him easy to be used as a figurehead by the newspaper. For example, when asked to post as the image for a right-wing firebrand poster, he is told to look "crabby" and "disgusted with all of civilization" and "sore at the world." Ann "inspires his pose by having him imagine a plate umpire calling one of his fast-ball pitches that cut the heart of the plate" (Dirks 2009). This image of John Doe is used to advance the interests of the newspaper's new owner, a right-wing populist named D.B. Norton. Norton's political sympathies are evident early on: when Norton buys the newspaper for which Ann Mitchell and her editor Connell both work, he changes the motto from: "A FREE PRESS MEANS A FREE PEOPLE," to "A STREAMLINED NEWSPAPER FOR A STREAMLINED AGE" (Dirks 2009). Streamlining, capitalism, and elimination of dissent are at the heart of his program.Despite his initial desire for food and a rehabilitated baseball career, Doe's natural decency begins to surface as the John Doe movement grows."
Sample of Sources Used:
- Dirks, Tim. Meet John Doe. Movie Review. American Movie Classics. 2009. March 8, 2010. http://www.filmsite.org/meet.html
- Meet John Doe. Directed by Frank Capra. 1941.
Cite this Analytical Essay:
APA Format
"Meet John Doe" and the Great Depression (2012, November 09)
Retrieved March 29, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/meet-john-doe-and-the-great-depression-151997/
MLA Format
""Meet John Doe" and the Great Depression" 09 November 2012.
Web. 29 March. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/meet-john-doe-and-the-great-depression-151997/>