Critical Analysis Of Ironweed

Mrs. Gazda

Compostition A

November 25th, 2010
Critical Analysis Ironweed

Ironweed was written in 1983, but it is based in the years of the early 1900’s.   One of many major events that happened during this time period was the depression.   This book reflects the depression and more specifically what a person might do during the depression.   The author illustrated that Francis did things that many people in that time would do, such as, collect his five dollars for the twenty-one times that he went to register to vote, and turning to the bottle to try and escape his problems and life in general.   Many people in that time period would do anything for a dollar and this shows that Francis would do something over and over again to get money.   The book also reflects on the many hard times that one person might have, as well in that era families were having the same issues and problems.

      The biggest historical event that happened to help shape and influence this book was the depression.   It shows how someone as big as a baseball player with all the things in the world could have absolutely nothing in a matter of seconds.   Since this happened to a baseball player this could of happened to anyone during the depression.   Ironweed is kind of a rough read but all in all it is an uplifting story of how someone is on their own road of redemption.   It really is an uplifting read and shows that if you want to change or better yourself you really can.

      It is important to know what happened during the time period in which the book takes place, if not you might just think it is another book about how someone lost everything they had, and is a social derelict.   Knowing that the depression happened during this time period helped me better understand what the author was saying. As I was reading the book I could imagine in my head what the certain setting might have been.   In the book Francis was constantly on the run from his own outbursts of violence that were...