Migrant Mother

Migrant Mother is an image synonymous with the Great Depression and is seen as the most famous photo of the era. It simply shows a mother with her young family sitting in tattered rags looking worried. You can feel the stress and helplessness resonating off the face of the mother and can imagine the struggle she faces at raising her family.

         That woman is Florence Thompson, she is a 32 year old mother of 7. She was an agricultural worker who had been hoping to find work in California. Before the photo was taken, she was travelling with her family but had stopped due to car trouble. They stopped by a group of pea-pickers, who had just been told that their crops had been destroyed. As Florence was getting her car repaired, she got her photo taken.

         Like the Joads, Florence Thompson is a migrant looking to make a living. Also like the Joads, she has an intense devotion to her family which is the cause of her moving. She was also an agricultural worker and also faced trouble due to her car breaking. Both she and the Joads represent the struggles of most migrant families in the Depression and Dustbowl.