Depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Depression - Essay Example The humiliation they suffered and the agonies they had to endure in order to feed themselves were highlighted in news stories, pictures and reports which were seen and experienced worldwide. The first two photographs depict the agony and forlorn state of affairs of those times in an effective manner, which leaves nothing to the imagination of the beholder. Nature is a great teacher and the human race, despite its superiority to the lower animals, can succumb to its vagaries, which can have a stark similarity to an animal in distress. Floods, droughts, earthquakes, famines, war, other man made as well as natural disasters have thrown up eras of great tragedy and human suffering, which can be heart rending when looked at retrospectively. The 1936 photographs by Dorothea Lange showing a mother with her children tell a story which is not at all difficult to interpret for a person with basic intelligence. The despondency is clear in expression in the mother as well as the elder child whose face though hidden from view in the second photograph, show emotions of despair, desperation and the sense of resignation. The empty bowl in front of the woman indicates the state of affairs and depicts the shortage of food which was prevalent in that era. When such basic necessities are not met, it inflicts great damage to the psyche of the sufferer, which is clearly reflected in the facial expression of the mother. She seems intelligent enough to be aware of the gravity of the situation she seems to be in. The bowed heads of both mother and child indicate depression as the dominant emotion as depicted in their expression as well as demeanor. Obviously they are suffering from lack of food, shelter and seem to be resigned to their fa te. The little baby held fondly by the mother seems to have been lulled to sleep after suffering pangs of hunger. The little boy is shown clinging to the pole in order to support himself. His eyes are closed, either in