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The Great Depression was one of the most traumatizing periods in American history but how does historical gender theory manage to join in on the conversation. Gravity21 makes mention of the three different theoretical positions and I believe the one that is applicable to Kozol’s article is would be the one pertaining to the establishment and explanation of patriarchal societal structure and also object-relation theory referring to the photographs to support her argument. Through her application of gender theory to the Great Depression she makes the point that many of the public policies passed during the  this time were passed to maintain the patriarchal family structure and keeping the idea of the American nuclear family alive. She brings up radical literature from the time such as the Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath to make the point of women taking up different positions of leadership within families because of the demasculinization of men due to their inability to be the breadwinner of the family. Kozol also make mention of the intent of the government’s legislation by referencing labor laws that discriminated against married women(pg 10). Kozol brings new interpretation to the many of the pictures that were published by the RA/FSA as far as their role in perpetuating the image of women in the home and how that role that they have as the emotional, nurturing  pillar of the family. The Great Depression did challenge the traditional gender roles of  America but they would be further challenged in the next decade through the United States’ involvement in World War II.