American Gothic

As I was researching and looking for topics for my final English paper, I came across a famous painting that everyone has seen or heard of before. It was the American Gothic. A lot of people know what it is but doesn’t really understand the origin, history and meaning of the master piece. Therefore, in this blog post I am going to give a solid analysis of the painting.

       The painting American Gothic, was painted by Grant Wood. He was known for his home-state paintings and this work was a result from the Regionalism Movement. The movement was a reaction and resistance to Europeans attempt to depict American life. If you noticed in the painting, the style of clothes they wore, the setting they are in, and the troubled emotions expressed suggests that they are in the Great Depression Era. The man is wearing a black jacket, with glasses and what seems like 1900’s clothing, and his stern facial expression is what stands out. The women is in her middle ages wearing a black with white dotted patterns and her face shows fear perhaps sadness. There isn’t a lot of emotion the women is showing compared to the man.

       So what does the painting mean and how does it symbolize life? Well, the man holding the pitchfork represents the immovable demeanor the he shows. He stands firmly to protect his land and refused to let anyone take it from him. Although his farm may be failing economically, he has no intentions of leaving. The man uses the pitchfork as sort of a prop to give the viewer an understanding of his position. He is gripping the pitchfork, his livelihood in his right hand and it could not be pried from him. Moving from the stance, the traditional black attire both of the people wore was unusual since farmers rarely wear black. The color black represents the economic state that they are in. There is not much shown about the woman in the painting but we all could assume that she is suffering through the same fate as her husband.

       A few things to take notice are the patterns on the woman’s dress and how the house was built. They all show Gothic qualities. The pattern on the woman’s dress is the same on the window and the house was built in an old-fashion manner. Grant Wood is trying to convey the message that American culture is not always what it seems.

       So how does this all have to do with literature? This work of art conveys a common theme shown in many great literary works; the man’s undying will to achieve and not let others take away your pride.