Grant Wood’s American Gothic painting is a portrayal of traditional American values throughout the 1930’s with its’ main emphasis on the need for a hard working labor force. The painting depicts a stern-faced farmer and his daughter in front of their house, with a Gothic-style window in the background. It is representative of traditional American rural values, where women were considered subservient to men and men made a huge commitment to their labor. The thesis of the painting can be interpreted in many different ways, however, in my opinion, Grant’s main meaning depicted in the painting is of what characterized American rural life during the 1930’s; a hardworking middle class where women, while respected, were still submissive to men.
The “New Enterprise Family” is made up of a couple and their children, commonly known as the nuclear family. The family seems to be selfish in choices they make economically as they throw their grandmother out of the house when she is no longer a sensible financial decision. The picture, in my opinion, depicts the typical American family today, who is more focused on making a profit then taking care of their family members. Free enterprise is an economic system where private businesses operate free of state controls and as we can see in the “Free Enterprise Family” the family when operating without moral conduct will throw their grandmother out to help themselves advance. The “Free Enterprise Family” seems to operate with a lack of moral control and therefore makes selfish decisions. The main attributes that “New Enterprise” families possess is arrogance, and selfishness.