The Women (Historical Context)

Historical Context

The Great Depression

In the fall of 1929, the United States economy was devastated by a collapse of the stock market. Now known as the Stock Market Crash of 1929, these events plunged the United States, and eventually many nations throughout the world, into a devastating economic crisis that lasted until the beginning of World War II in 1939. This roughly ten-year period is known as the Great Depression. As a result of the collapse of the economy during the Great Depression, many people were out of work, lost their homes, and lived in abject poverty. Unemployment rates reached as high as 25 – 30 percent of the employable workforce. In the realm of international economy, the levels of world trade were reduced by more than half their previous volume.

Political measures to address the problems of the Great Depression in the United States were dominated by the leadership of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who began his first term in 1933. Roosevelt initiated a wide variety of government programs in an effort to relieve the burden of poverty, raise the employment rate, and stimulate the economy. Roosevelt's domestic program for addressing the Great Depression is known as the New Deal. The crucial first few months of Roosevelt's institution of the New Deal are known as the Hundred Days.

The Women was originally produced in 1936, during the heart of the Great Depression. In this play, Luce emphasizes the stark differences between the experiences of wealthy, privileged women and those of poor working women. Within the context of Great Depression – era America, Luce's critical perspective on the behavior of these society women is that much more pronounced.

In her play, Luce makes satiric reference to the New Deal in a bit of clever dialogue when one of Mary's friends refers to her ex-husband's new wife as his "New Deal."

The Reno Divorce

Act 2, scene 2 of The Women takes place in the hotel room of a resort ranch in Reno, Nevada. In order to understand why Mary and her friends travel to Reno, one must have some knowledge of the history of divorce laws and practices in the United States. During the period in which The Women takes place, divorces were much more difficult to obtain than they were in the early 2000s. Divorce was also considered to be scandalous and embarrassing for both parties, but especially for divorced women. Furthermore, divorce laws varied from state to state, making them easier to obtain in some states than in others.

Because Nevada had relatively liberal divorce laws, as well as very short-term requirements for state citizenship (only six weeks, at the time), many wealthy society women during the 1930s went to Reno in order to get divorced. Because these women needed to stay in the state for a period of weeks, in order to obtain state citizenship, an industry of resort ranches developed to accommodate them. For this reason, Mary and many of her New York society friends, like many high society women during that period, find themselves together in Reno while waiting for their divorces to go through.

Popular Culture References

Throughout The Women, various characters make references to public figures who were well known during the 1930s, but who may be unfamiliar to readers in the early 2000s. In order to appreciate some of Luce's humorous dialogue, and to make sense of what the characters are saying, it is helpful to have some idea of who these figures from popular culture were.

There are a number of references in The Women to popular Hollywood movie personalities of the era. Luce's characters mention movie stars such as Mae West and Joan Crawford, as well as the romantic lead actor Clark Gable, and the comic actor Harpo Marx. Other Hollywood personalities mentioned in The Women include well-known movie studio moguls such as Darryl F. Zanuck, co-founder of 20th-Century Fox, and Louis B. Mayer, vice president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) studios.

The mention of a "Mrs. Astor" by one character resonates with the themes of gossip and divorce in The Women. Mary Astor was a popular movie star of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Several scandalous aspects of Astor's personal life became a subject of widespread gossip in the popular press. Her three divorces, severe alcoholism, and attempted suicide were among the topics seized upon by gossip columnists. The biggest scandal of Astor's life hit the presses in 1936 (the same year in which The Women was first produced), when, in the process of Astor's second divorce, her personal diary was publicly presented in court, revealing clandestine affairs with many Hollywood personalities. This revelation became the subject matter of widespread gossip and intrigue.

Compare & Contrast

1. 1930s: The United States is in the midst of the Great Depression, the worst economic crisis in the history of the nation. Unemployment is at an all-time high.

   Today: While the economy fluctuates greatly, many regulations work to ensure that an economic collapse such as that which caused the Great Depression is not repeated. While unemployment rates also fluctuate, they do not reach the devastating levels of the Great Depression era.

2. 1930s: Divorce laws, which vary widely from state to state, result in the development of Reno, Nevada, as a locus where people from all over the country come to obtain divorces.

   Today: While divorce laws still vary from state to state, an overall liberalization of divorce laws makes it easier for couples to obtain divorces within their home states.

3. 1930s: Women's opportunities for earning an independent living through professional endeavors are limited by a male-dominated work world. Because of limited job opportunities, most women are dependent on their husbands for economic support.

   Today: Women's professional opportunities are greatly increased, allowing women to pursue any profession a man can with reasonable hope for success. Many women earn enough to enjoy complete economic independence.