During the great depression of the 1930s life in America was turned upside down. The book describes partly what happened to once solid productive citizens, How they coped and learned to adapt. Some of the main causes of the economy are described in this story.. Ambition without hope" refers to the state of having strong aspirations or desires but without any expectation of success or fulfillment. It can describe a situation where someone has high goals or dreams but does not believe that they are achievable, or lacks the belief or motivation to pursue them. In essence, it is a situation where someone is driven by ambition but lacks the hope or confidence to see it through to fruition. This can lead to a feeling of frustration or discouragement and can potentially impact one's overall well-being and satisfaction in life.