The Great Depression left a lot of individuals in difficult circumstances. The Public Enemy is a film from 1931 that focuses on the main events during the Great Depression. Tom and Mike are two characters that portray two different but very common life styles in the 1930’s in attempting to achieve the American Dream. Tom was a criminal and had much more then the average person had back then. Mike was just getting by because he liked to play by the books. More people lived a life of Mike but were more envious of Tom’s life style. Therefore the viewers admired Tom more strongly then they admired his brother Mike.
When the film came out in 1931 the nation was in its third year of the Great Depression. The New Era went from boom to bust. Numerous …show more content…
In The Public Enemy it is shown that the brothers are two different individuals. Mike is portrayed as the good guy; on the other hand, Tom is seen as the mischievous one. When Tom was a kid even his peers where pointing out his character traits, “you’re the meanest boy in town… Jail. That’s where you’ll be some day.” That’s why Mike follows the rules. He works as a streetcar conductor during the day and by night he goes to school. Later on Mike joins the war and becomes a Marine to be a good Samaritan. He is trying to reach the American dream but he is disillusioned because of the harsh reality of the depression. Tom points out to Mike that he is “learning how to be …show more content…
They wanted to escape the Great Depression. During these hard times money was very scarcest. People found anything to do, to make them happy for just a little while. Tom Power’s gangster lifestyle was more appealing to the human eye. This abnormal way of a life style brought money, clothes, women, cars, nice dinners, respect etc. The gangster life style had everything an ordinary person did not have. As viewers watch The Public Enemy it comes clear that most individuals identify with Tom more then his brother Mike. Audiences discount Tom’s criminal acts; they are distracted by all the luxuries that are shown in the film. They are wholeheartedly robbed of these luxuries. The viewers forget who Tom Power’s really
When the film came out in 1931 the nation was in its third year of the Great Depression. The New Era went from boom to bust. Numerous …show more content…
In The Public Enemy it is shown that the brothers are two different individuals. Mike is portrayed as the good guy; on the other hand, Tom is seen as the mischievous one. When Tom was a kid even his peers where pointing out his character traits, “you’re the meanest boy in town… Jail. That’s where you’ll be some day.” That’s why Mike follows the rules. He works as a streetcar conductor during the day and by night he goes to school. Later on Mike joins the war and becomes a Marine to be a good Samaritan. He is trying to reach the American dream but he is disillusioned because of the harsh reality of the depression. Tom points out to Mike that he is “learning how to be …show more content…
They wanted to escape the Great Depression. During these hard times money was very scarcest. People found anything to do, to make them happy for just a little while. Tom Power’s gangster lifestyle was more appealing to the human eye. This abnormal way of a life style brought money, clothes, women, cars, nice dinners, respect etc. The gangster life style had everything an ordinary person did not have. As viewers watch The Public Enemy it comes clear that most individuals identify with Tom more then his brother Mike. Audiences discount Tom’s criminal acts; they are distracted by all the luxuries that are shown in the film. They are wholeheartedly robbed of these luxuries. The viewers forget who Tom Power’s really