Set in 1939 Hollywood, in the midst of the Great Depression, Nathanael West's novel The Day of the Locust centers on Tod Hackett, an aspiring set-designer come to Los Angeles to work in the film industry. West's exploration of those who struggle on the margins of Hollywood brings to a light a very real world full of desperation, hope, grit, and pain as Tod fights for love and success in the most unforgiving of environments.