There’s dialogue in CA:CW that I dont believe I’ve ever heard/read anyone comment on and I have to ask WHY???
This. Scene. Right. Here.
The reason for this rare (and beautiful) smile from Bucky Barnes is that he’s reminded of a time that he spent so much money trying to win a girl a stuffed bear, that Bucky and Steve had to ride home in the back of a freezer truck. This scene says a HELL of a lot in the space of a minute or two and I’d like to go over it.
First, let’s take a look at this from a scientific/economic perspective. This was the late 1930s or early 1940s (considering bucky was drafted into the army after 1942). Since the country still hadn’t recovered fully from the economic crisis of the stock market crash in 1929, having Bucky spend $3.00 USD at a fair JUST TO WIN A GIRL A STUFFED BEAR is astounding to me.
Stay with me y’all. This is why:
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index, the dollar experienced an average inflation rate of 3.79% per year. Prices in 2017 were 1648.0% higher than prices in 1940. In other words, $1 in 1940 is equivalent in purchasing power to $17.48 in 2017, a difference of $16.48 over 77 years.
In layman’s terms; James Buchanan Barnes (who probably didn’t have much money to his name to start off with) spent OVER $50.00 USD (in today’s economy) to make this redhead happy by winning her a stuffed bear.
Which brings me to my next point.
Let’s take a look at this from a less than scientific perspective and instead focus on this in a more emotional manner. This sweet, gentle, kind, and caring man probably spent close to everything he had just to win Dot over. I find that to be one of the sweetest and most heartwarming things I have ever heard.
The bonus of the original scene I drew your attention to is that the sweet and gentle man that wanted to win that bear for Dot is STILL IN THERE no matter how much Hydra tried to change that.
Let’s be honest here, if more men were like Bucky Barnes, the world would be a much better place.
the1timetraveller 