Theme- Is it a person's "right" to ignore the problems around them, even if doing so results in disaster? Does short term satisfaction and peace of mind justify consequences down the road?
The Chalie Chaplin movie below was made in 1914, entitled Kid Auto Races at Venice. Watch it then think about what it means to you...
Why do you go to the movies?
By looking into the movies and other “distractions” during the post World War One era we can not only better understand the problems they were trying to escape but also how their pursuit of an “escape” only made problems worse.
Do people use entertainment as an escape? What would people be trying to escape in 1914?
As the Great War was raging, what did people want to spend their time thinking about?
As we learned in these past lessons, WW1 was very hard on the soldiers and civilians of Europe- way more so than those of the U.S
The reality of post-WW1 Europe.
Life in the United States after World War One was one of prosperity- the industry (the economy) was booming and people were living quite happily.
Life in Europe on the other hand was not as pleasant. While the guns had been silenced, the destruction they created still existed. Cities still needed to be rebuilt; bomb craters and trenches still scarred the countryside.
"Distractions"
After World War One many people developed very anti-war sentiments. They saw the horror of World War One and were not willing to have to be put through it again.
People wanted an “escape.” Where would they turn for such an escape?
By looking into the movies and other “distractions” during the post World War One era we can not only better understand the problems they were trying to escape but also how their pursuit of an “escape” only made problems worse.
Meanwhile...
Remember the Treaty of Versailles? While other countries were trying to forget WW1, Germany was suffering heavily under the War Guilt Clause and the cost of reparations they were paying to other countries.
The German economy was bad enough that inflation caused German money to be almost worthless. The above picture is of a German woman burning money because it was a cheaper way of providing heat than paying for heat!
Just imagine how much the Germans wanted... something... for example, a leader who could restore Germany's greatness...
