The 1930's were hit by a serious economic disaster called the great depression. This problem ruined the rural economy. The film "Mean Things Happen" visited the times of the great depression from a social as well as economic standpoint. The movie illustrated how capitalists went to unscrupulous measures to continue with their control over the proletariat class. Social and economic stratification were also issues that were boldly outlined in the film.
The films" starting focus was on how the hardships of the bourgeoisie class during great depression showed in the faces of the proletariat class. Sharecroppers picked very large loads of cotton for the plantation owners to sell. However, with the crash of the rural economy, cotton prices were extremely low. Not much money was being made so the sharecroppers weren't getting paid or were either paid insufficiently. President Roosevelt tried to help the cotton plantations by giving the landlords money based on the size of their farms. This money was supposed to cover farming costs and the tenants" wages. Unfortunately, landlords would keep the funds and pay the sharecroppers what they wanted. Even though the tenants were aware that they weren't being properly paid, they weren't allowed to view the figuring books because it was said to be "insulting the landlord.".
The Southern Tenant Farmer Union, or the STFU, was an organization formed to attain equal rights for sharecroppers. 18 members, 11 white and 7 black men were at the first meeting. By the end of the year there were 1,000 members. The newly formed union wasn't well accepted by the capitalists. Fear of the minority group gaining power caused them to become defensive and more unjust. Murders, beatings, and firings were only a few hardships the union members faced while trying to gain their rights. The Wagner act granted the right to form unions. These problems didn't cease even when the act was passed.