A Depression So Great
A Depression So Great is a fictional story about a young girl's view of living during The Great Depression. Her life changes before her eyes, but she learns the best lesson yet.
“My sweet sixteenth party is tomorrow, Maria! Remember, we’re meeting at my house around noon to have lunch and get ready for the party. Anna is coming to do our makeup and manicures,” Jana announced to Maria for the fiftieth time.
“I know. I know! I have my checklist posted on my dry erase board in my walk in closet,” Maria replied with irritation in her voice. She couldn’t wait until this party was over.
Jana was the last to turn sixteen in her group of friends and was determined to have the best party. She found herself reminding her best friend everyday for the past week of the final preparations. Maria threw a half-hearted wave as she closed the car door. When she reached the front door, she gave a smile and another half-hearted wave.
With the top down and radio blasting, Jana cruised through the neighborhood of fancy homes. She pulled in her garage, grabbed her global studies book, and walked in the house. Although tomorrow was the big day, she wanted to jump ahead in her studies. Tonight she would explore The Great Depression.
Jana woke with a smile on her face. Today was the day of her big party, and she couldn’t wait to receive her morning present. A tradition her mom performed since she could remember. When she opened her eyes, something was very strange. The walls of her room no longer displayed posters, but it looked as if they had been pushed closer together. Jana rubbed her eyes to make sure she was seeing correctly. That’s when she noticed her two younger brothers were sleeping on a cot in her room.
Jana’s mother walked in with the saddest expression but managed to find a smile. “Happy birthday sweetheart,” she greeted Jana with a kiss.
“Mom, what happened to my room? Why I am I dressed in these rags? Why are they in my room? Where is my birthday gift?” Jana asked in one breath.
“Sweetie, remember we moved back in with Grandma and Grandpa. Since there are only three rooms, your brothers and you have to share a room. We talked about your gift yesterday. We can't afford anything extra right now because dad lost all his stock on Black Tuesday, and the banks closed before we could retrieve the remaining of our money. Jana, that happened over six months ago,” her mom replied with tears.
A month had past, and Jana was still in a state of shock. How could she have dreamed she was one of the wealthiest and most popular girls at school? The answer was still a mystery for her. Her life was so different and stressful. Her school life was replaced with long days working on her grandparents’ farm. From sunrise to sunset, she busied herself with work. Times were hard, and things weren’t changing.
The farming industry was one of the hardest hit industries. Jana heard her grandparents and parents discuss how the Dust Bowl added fuel to the fire created by The Great Depression. She eventually learned they were referring to the drought. They also discussed how the bills were the same amount of money, but their incomes were the diminished to none.
Life was a sad thought, so Jana spent much of her time writing about it her journal. Although she loved writing in her journal, her time was limited. No longer did her family have the luxury of electricty, so she had to enjoy her favorite past-time before dark.
“Jana! Jana!” Antron yelled in her ear. Jana yanked her eyes open and gave her little brother an evil glare. Antron laughed and ran out the room.
That’s when reality hit Jana like a bucket of iced cold water. She noticed her textbook was to opened the chapter about The Great Depression, and she chuckled to herself. That was a dream and not reality. It was at that moment she concluded she was dreaming about living during The Great Depression.
Jana hopped off the bed to wash her hands for dinner. While walking down the stairs, she promised herself she would appreciate every little part of life.