John Steinbeck practically made a career from out of writing stories about life during the great depression, using the everyday trials and tribulations of life in the depression as the backdrop for many stories. In The Grapes of Wrath an Oklahoma family flees the Dust Bowl with dreams of the riches of California, in Of Mice and Men the George and Lennie drift from job to job trying to find acceptable work for the latter, Georges mentally challenged friend, and in Tortilla Flat and Cannery Row town denizens cheerfully rub along in the idyllic poverty of everyday 1930s Salinas valley life.
Things might seem bad now but you have to know they will get better eventually which is why we wanted to suggest our Top 10 fictional stories about overcoming financial adversity. Whether a character has lost their job, or they are just living through hard times here are 10 stories about bettering ones lot in life.
The Van by Roddy Doyle
The basis of the story is that Jimmy Rabbitte Sr. has been laid off from his job and has no money. His friend also gets laid off and gets a redundancy check. With this check the two friends decide to purchase a ‘chipper’ or Fish and Chips van. The story is about the two friends trying to deal with their new business and the stresses involved.
Three Dollars by Elliot Perlman
The story is a fictional memoir of Eddie, a government agency worker in Melbourne who struggles to provide for his family in an increasingly hostile corporate world. When economic and social changes cause Eddie to lose his job, he finds himself with only three dollars to his name. Realizing how fragile his reality is he gets survival lessons from an unexpected source, and finds salvation because of his own previous decency and kindness.
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Set in the mid nineteenth century Dickens classic tale of the young orphan Oliver who endures all of the adversity that London can throw at him. The novel addresses the injustices of the social caste system in Brittan at the time.
Mr. Phillips by John Lanchester
Mr Phillips wakes on a summer’s Monday morning in his modest, nearly mortgage-free house ready to face another ordinary working day, however the only difference being that Mr. Phillips was sacked the previous Friday. Incapable of dealing with the blow, he fails to tell his wife of his plight and sets off at his usual hour. He wanders the streets of London, thinking about how only days ago he knew who he was but now must re-discover what he can become.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Set during the Great Depression of the 1930s, The novel centers on Jacob Jankowski’s experiences in a travelling circus. Jacob is employed as the show’s veterinarian and he faces a number of challenges in dealing with the head trainer, August, while also learning how to function in the hierarchy of the circus and falling in love with August’s wife, Marlena.
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
Prince Edward inadvertently switches places with Tom Canty, a pauper. While both boys are interested in experiencing life in the other’s shoes, they are dismayed by the realities of their new lives.
Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O’Nan
It has been decided that the Connecticut Red Lobster location managed by the conscientious and committed restaurant manager Manny DeLeon is not meeting corporate expectations and on December 20th the restaurant will close. Manny defines himself by his job and on the last day of business for the failing location he tries to make the night perfect despite the lack of employees and customers as well as a massive blizzard battering the area.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl`s children’s classic about young Charlie Bucket finding a golden ticket inside a chocolate bar wrapper which awards him a fabulous tour of the chocolate factory owned by local entrepreneur, and complete nutter, Willy Wonka. This life saving news comes just as the Bucket family are dealt the final financial blow when Charlie’s father is laid off from his job screwing caps onto tooth paste tubes.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The book itself was written in six weeks to help Dickens pay off financial debt, but it’s the lives of the Cratchit family that are truly are made better after Ebenezer Scrooge sees the error in his ways after three visits from ghostly apparitions.
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
The book follows a diverse cast of characters though the changing economic times of India in 1947.
And even these stories sound a bit grim think of the real life story surrounding Lee Child, who actually got his start as an author after being laid-off from his job as a presentation director at a TV station. Faced with unemployment he decided to use his dole money to tide him over while he wrote and published his first novel which turned out to be the blockbuster hit The Killing Floor. He even named the protagonist Reacher because his wife told him that even if his writing ambitions didn’t pan out “you could always be a reacher (or stock boy) in a supermarket.”
i can see some improvement in US economy. i just hope that we will be out of this economic recession soon.