As a student, I have looked at a picture titled the “Migrant Mother” many times. This picture is the epitome of modest sophistication. It is so incredibly uncomplicated, yet so powerful at the same time. The picture was taken in 1936, during the height of the Great Depression (Phelan). Countless families were struggling to survive and this photograph displays that with outstanding simplicity. The “Migrant Mother” has always been one of my favorite photographs because it shows every emotion that the mother is feeling in just a single shot. The photographer, Dorothea Lange was the one who captured the photo of Florence Thompson, the mother in the photograph, and her children (Phelan). It was Lange’s goal to try and portray what life was like for poor families during the Great Depression, and she chose to illustrate through the Thompson family. Needless to say, she did just that because the “Migrant Mother” is an iconic photograph that speaks to contemporary concerns about single motherhood. 

Yet, when it came time for me to really look at and analyze it, I grew to appreciate certain artistic elements that Lange used to take the picture. At first glace, this photograph does not seem like much, but after reading about the history of it and after taking the time too look at it, anyone can see it’s value. I take a particular fascination with this photo because it reminds me of how my own mother would look in a situation like this. She is the type of woman who lives for her kids and I can only imagine the pain she would endure during a painful time such as the Great Depression. I believe that the reason this photo received all the recognition and fame that it did, was because it touched so many hearts. Seeing a family in a situation like this makes people realize that they need to value what they have and to not take the little things for granted.

In this photograph, the look on the mother’s face and how she’s staring off into the distance is chilling. She is just sitting there, thinking about all the struggles her children have to endure in this miserable life. The wrinkles that crease her forehead show the amount of worry and stress she is under.  She must bear the brunt of holding her family together. She is a young mother, but the amount of pressure she is under seems to have aged her. As a mother, it is her life’s goal to make sure her children live a plentiful and happy life. Yet, she has to live with the fact that her two most prized possessions must go through hardships no child should. The way her hand is placed on her face reminds me of something my own mother does when she is worried or anxious about a particular situation. How her eyebrows are furrowed displays her worry about the future and the feeling of not knowing what will happen to her and her family. The look in her eyes is excruciating because, as the viewer, you can see the pain that she is in trying to hide the fact that she’s worried from her children. Her eyes look empty, as if she has nothing to live for. But as a mother, she knows that she has to live for everyone in her family even if it is not what she can handle. 

When it comes to the two children, they are what really make the picture powerful. Although we cannot see their faces, the way they are hanging onto their mother is really compelling. They are clinging to the mother because they know that she is all they have. How their heads are facing make it seem to the observer that they are sad along with their mother. The Great Depression created stress and anxiety on everyone, including children who should never be concerned with those harsh realities. The dirt that covers the kids’ bodies encompasses how difficult it was to do the simplest things, like bathing. The way their hair is so raggedy and tangled makes the viewer think that the kids have been neglected of the essentials that children deserve. The photo really shows that the Depression is taking a noticeable toll on the happiness and well being of the children. 

Being a woman in this point in history was already difficult enough. However, during the Great Depression, these women had to singlehandedly take care of everyone in their family because most men were out of work or making ridiculously low pay. Some women even had to take care of themselves and the children on their own because many men left their families to find jobs, or left their families all together (Phelan). Single motherhood is something that was extremely prominent back then as well as today. Many women raised their kids all alone during the Great Depression, which is an obvious stressor on top of the fact that they were already living in poverty. Single mothers were and are very underappreciated. They definitely do not get the recognition and respect that they deserve. Rebecca Traister is an author who is known for writing about the power that women have as individuals. In her article “The Single American Woman”, she talks about how much more independent women have become over the years. She quotes, “In 2009, the proportion of American women who were married dropped below 50 percent” (Traister). As a gender, women are realizing that they can achieve anything they put their mind to and do not need the help of men. 

The clothes that the family is wearing also add to the effect of the picture. From what it appears, the clothes that the mother and children are wearing were probably all that they owned at the time. The child to the right of the mother has a shirt on with several holes in the sleeve and the other child has on a shirt that is not fitted to his body. This makes the spectator think that this family must make due with what they had to clothe themselves. As for the mother’s clothing, it seems like she still attempted to look presentable. The sweater and the button-down underneath gives off a professional-like appearance even though that is obviously not what her position is in the family. Her outfit further adds to her position of the main caregiver in the home. She is clearly the one that is attempting to provide for everyone and do it all on her own.

Overall, this image shows the deterioration of a family due to the Great Depression. Single motherhood during this time period was widely common, and most of the time not even by choice. As a contemporary concern, single motherhood is something that is coming into a more positive light. It used to be frowned upon and single mothers used to be looked at as weak and miserable, and still are to this day. However, more women are becoming independent and more willing to experience life on their own. For women under 30, the likelihood of being married has become incredibly small. Rebecca Traister quotes, “Today, only around 20 percent of Americans ages 18–29 are wed, compared to nearly 60 percent in 1960” (Traister). In today’s society, women are taking advantage of the newfound opportunities that come their way instead of waiting around for a man. More often than not, a woman nowadays wants to succeed by herself before she feels the need to succeed with a man. Single motherhood is nothing to be ashamed of any longer and we are slowly realizing this as a society despite the negativity it has received in the past. 
