Eugenia Collier's short story "Marigolds" explores the impact of the poverty of the Great Depression not only on adult lives, but also on everyday life . children. The confusion between desperation and fear of the future is explored throughout the story. During the Great Depression, many works of art and literature reflected these working-class concerns. One piece that stands out is “Cotton Pickers” by Thomas Hart Benton. The oil painting depicts a similar setting to that of the story with the depiction of a poverty-stricken area and the feelings that both works convey. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay When the narrator, Lizabeth, recalls her childhood, she recalls her lack of understanding of the poverty that surrounded her. The narrator describes the financial and living situation of his town as "as hungry and poorly clothed as we were" (Collier). This shows the extent of their poverty and their lack of communication with people from other places. Benton's painting also touches on the poverty of African Americans during the time of the Great Depression. The artist shows a child sleeping under a makeshift tent as, most likely, his mother works all day. The artist does this to show how, during this time, families had to work long, arduous hours to provide for their children. The large area of ​​farmland that Benton depicts reflects the idea that Lizabeth conveys when she says that poverty was all she knew. The similar settings of enhancement in both works allow for a better understanding of the lives of African Americans during the Great Depression. The story also touches on the struggles Lizabeth's family faced in maintaining income and giving to their family. His mother "works well into the evening" (Collier) and his father struggles to find a job. Although the artwork depicts people with jobs, Benton does well in showing the harrowing conditions in which they work. This painting provides insight into what Lizabeth's mother would have gone through on a daily basis to provide for her family. The huge plantations from which they had to harvest heat with only the help of a few horses to bring large loads of cotton back to the owner, were the daily struggles these African American workers had to deal with. Both pieces show the struggles workers faced to survive during the Great Depression. The author of 'Marigolds' and the artist of 'Cotton Pickers' both show the reality of African Americans during the Great Depression. While Collier focuses on Lizabeth's internal struggle, Benton shows the external struggles of the workers. Despite this contrast, both describe the strength that the poor working class maintained in the mentally taxing state of the Great Depression.