Topic off of The Piano Lesson

1. By: Alex Kopenhaver

2. Background of the 1930s
• Recovering from Wall Street crash in 1929
• Led to the beginning of the Great Depression
– Unemployment hits a high of 4 million in 1930 and
up to 12 million by 1932
• More people using automobiles
• Our nation preparing for War
• The Dust Bowl struck

3. Impact on Railroad Industry
• More automobiles means less
people riding the train
– For the first time since the
debut of railroads, rail
mileage declined during the
1930s
• Due to economic problems in
the country, less investments
being made in railroads
• Railroad employment
decreased by 42% by 1932
• Railroad income drastically
declined from $977 million in
1929 to $122 million in 1932
– Industry would not have a
profit again until 1937

4. People’s Actions and the Railroads
• Unemployed workers (mostly
farmhands) heard about jobs
hundreds of miles away
– Only way to get there was
illegally “hopping” on trains
because they could not afford
tickets
– Similar to Boy Charles from
“The Piano Lesson” sneaking on
the train after stealing the piano
from Sutter
• Many hoboes (at least 6,500)
killed by guards or railroad
accidents during these times
• Mirrored in “The Piano Lesson”
by Boy Charles and the three
hoboes’ rail car being set on fire
and killing them

5. How Railroad Industry Responded
• To attract new and returning
passengers, the industry
developed the luxury
Streamliner in the 1930s
– Built in a way to reduce air
resistance so it offered high
speed travel to passengers
• Switched from steam to
diesel-powered locomotives
– First passenger diesel
locomotive used in 1934
– Could carry more passengers
and cargo, thus saving
money for industry

6. How Railroad Impacted Nation
• As World War II heated up, trains became
more necessary in order to transport troops
• Railroad industry workers began developing
and joining unions
• Many positive results for employees:
– Better pay for railroad workers
• Evidenced by Doaker in “The Piano Lesson” making
decent money as a railroad cook
– Safer working conditions
– Retirement benefits
– Unions admitted African Americans

7. Symbolism of Railroads as Seen in
“The Piano Lesson”
• They get you where you need to go with minimal
stops along the way
– Similar to African American view of their lives in the
1930s that they can’t control things; they just have to
go along for the ride wherever it leads them
• Now what I done learned after 27 years of railroading is
this... if the train stays on the track... it's going to get
where it's going. It might not be where you going. If it
ain't, then all you got to do is sit and wait cause the train's
coming back to get you. The train don't never stop (p. 19) –
Doaker.

8. Bibliography
• http://www.american-rails.com/railroad-
history.html
• http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginth
e30s/water_07.html
• http://www.american-rails.com/railroading-in-
the-1930s.html
• http://history.howstuffworks.com/american-
history/great-depression-railroads.htm