The Automat by Edward Hopper: 1920's Context Analysis

The 1920's in the United States were a turbulent time. Prohibition was in full swing, and the denunciation of innocence sparked by the widespread popular noncompliance with the mandates of the 18^th amendment and the Volstead Act has changed the shape of America forever. Popular culture, hedonism, and the joys of the city were concepts that were most prominent in this era. The Automat, by Edward Hopper intends to embody a sense of this time period into its canvas. However, it is not meant to praise but to expose and unveil.

The woman sits dead silent and alone in an automated diner. The window behind her reveals a deep, opaque darkness, punctuated only by a string of saucer-like lights, each monotonous and similar, each reflected in its neighbor in shape and distinction, and extending into the automat only to be reflected in diminishing forms upon the smoky glass. The only source of light comes from within the diner; it reveals the entire scene, and coats it with garish, whitewashed colors. One can almost feel the despair in the air, and yet, there is no escape. As with Hopper's Nighthawks, there is no exit, no way out into the circle of being. The woman is abandoned and trapped within...