            Photographer Dorothea Lange took Migrant Mother in 1936. She was working for the Resettlement Agency at the time and was commissioned by the United States Federal Government. This photograph was taken during the economic disaster known as the Great Depression. Families all over the United States were going bankrupt, due to a massive decline in the stock markets. Affluent suburban families were living in poverty and those who were less fortunate were left with little to nothing. The United States is known as a safe haven to the refugees from all over globe. It is a country built on the rags to riches story we know to be the "American Dream". Those who came to the United States with dreams of hard work and prosperity were blindsided when they landed in the States in the midst of the worst recession in the history of the free market. Lange's photo highlights the struggle and disappointment felt by American migrants during the 1930s Depression through her use of media, focus, and curated black and white exposure. 

            Lange's choice of media allows her to capture raw emotion and the despair of this struggling family. Using a photograph to document this moment does however come with some constraints. She cannot alter the image captured or put too much of a personal bias on the project. What you see is what you get. "A picture is worth a thousand words" really come true when you look into the eyes of this destitute mother struggling to provide for her young boys. This picture presents the anguish of this mother as she faces the harsh reality of her situation. Affordances gained by choosing to photograph the situation are the pure emotions seen in the mother's face and eyes. The viewer is also able to see the condition of their clothes and how they look physically. Nothing about their appearance is idealized or glamorous. With a photograph you are able to see the tears in the families clothing and their dirty and un-brushed hair. It shows the true grit of the subject matter. 

            The picture is primarily focused on the small family. A once financially secure family is now forced to sleep on the ground. The boys are clothed in tattered, dirty rags and seem to be in need of haircuts. The baby sleeps soundly, blissfully unaware of its desperate surroundings. The family is homeless, judging by the condition of the mother's sweater and the lean-to tent that they are in. Shooting the photograph in such an environment adds to the desolateness of their situation. The closeness to the subjects makes the photograph intimate and gives it a raw, unfiltered effect. It confronts the viewer, giving them no place to look away to. 

The viewer is naturally drawn to the face of the young mother. The value of the photo is very neutral however the mother's face is the brightest feature of the work. She shows years of wrinkles that seem to be premature. She is holding her head up with hand against her protruding jaw. Her body language is rigid and calculated, tensing as if she is looking into her bleak future. Her brow is furrowed and her eyes are crinkled, as if the things she has seen have given her face ten years. Her jaw line and cheekbones are tightened, a signaling that she is in great need of a decent meal. The boys' desperate hold on their mother shows their bond as a family. Those who struggle together build a special and close bond as they work together to overcome. To quote Malcolm James McCormick "We only grow from anguish".

            The boys are seen facing away from their mother as she looks off into the distance. She has a look of uncertainty. This uncertainty in her facial expression speaks of not only her uncertainty for her future but her doubt of eating a meal that day, or being able to obtain fresh drinking water. The boys facing away from her represents the family disconnect that is being forced by the depression. The boys will be forced to grow up faster in order to face the new, harsh world the depression has created. If she is not able to provide for them they will be forced into shelters or a life of crime, creating a growing gap in their relationship. 

The use of black and white exposure as opposed to color in the photo adds a depth to its overall meaning. The lack of color saturation heightens the primary message of the photo: depression. The scene is more desperate, sad and seemingly hopeless in the exclusively black and white landscape. Color would seem out of place and almost obtrusive in a scene where clearly spirits are very low and prospects are seemingly non-existent. On closer inspection the viewer could observe that the black and white makes certain shadows and highlights more prominent such as the woman's wrinkles and the dirt and patches on the boys' rags. It elevates further the gravity of the desperate situation this poor family faces during the Great Depression. The harsh shadows, the rough lines and the cold contrast between light and dark are all made clear to the viewer through the use of the black and white exposure. 

Dorothea Lange's Migrant Mother has captivated generations and has become the face of the Great Depression. Its most appealing factor is the raw emotion seen in the mother's face and the unadulterated state of the picture. What you see is what truly was the situation of this family as well as thousands of others across the nation at that time. The Great Depression finds its namesake in the empty eyes of this desolate woman, who will continue to haunt future viewers for years to come. 

