Russell Baker's Growing Up is a depiction of the lives of Russell Baker and his family as they faced the Great Depression. The major points that surfaced were how they coped with long-term deprivation and their struggle with the lack of economic stability that they experienced. Along with Russell and his family, the 1920's, specifically 1929, experienced one of the greatest tragedies that occurred. Known as the Great Depression, it was the worst economic crash that the United States faced. .
The depression lasted for nearly a decade following the crash in 1929. There were a few factors that contributed to the depression but the greatest was the extensive stock market speculation. As the depression was underway, the economy basically became stagnant. Workers couldn't find any employment because employers wouldn't hire them, firms wouldn't hire workers because there were no markets for produced goods, and no one had money to spend on goods, therefore, the market industry failed. With no money, people resorted to purchasing items, including cars and other personal goods, be a means of credit. Everyone quickly adopted this method, and soon no money was seen in the stock market, due to a rise in shares that very few could afford. This was the beginning of the Great Depression. Like many, Russell Baker lived through this significant time period and faced many hardships.
The book travels through Russell's life, from the beginning of his childhood to his years as a knowledgeable man. His father was drafted into the army and discharged after five days stating that he had a physical disability. He ended up having diabetes in 1918, when insulin was still unknown. Along with others in this time period, having a serious disease like diabetes meant that a death would soon be in sight. Insulin was later discovered in 1921, offering optimal health to those infected. Medical cures were unknown at this time, especially to those that lived in places like Morrisonville in the back roads of America.
