Analysis Of The Book ' The Salinas Valley '

(C) Antonio’s father Gabriel shares the belief that is found in this time period that abundance and prosperity were to be found in the lush lands of California, such as are emphasized in John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes

Harvest depicts a black teenager, Angel who is socially discriminated because of her race. In the story, Evans represents unequal treatment people often get based on race. This clearly gives the idea of ongoing racism in our society. Evans tries to make readers aware that such discrimination could be the root to even more problems. She implies that racial discrimination is not necessary and should be put to a halt.

The next section of chapter 21 offers an explanation of the hostility that the migrants meet upon arrival in California. Steinbeck describes:

After the Joads arrive in California, they are met with the image of a vast desert and a dull, desolate landscape. Pa, who is expecting to see lush fields and crops galore, does not even realize that the family has arrived, when he says, “Wait till we get to California. You’ll see nice country then,” to which Tom replies, “Jesus Christ, Pa! This here is California” (204). The irony between the realities of California and the expectations of Pa shows the setting as the bearer of misfortune as the plans of the migrant family are further stalled because of nature. Further, Steinbeck uses the ironic contrast of the idea versus the reality of California to showcase the antagonistic properties of the setting by highlighting it as the most foreboding of obstacles to the Joad family. Through his use of irony, Steinbeck shows that the institution of nature acts as the perpetuator of unfortunate circumstances that befall the Joad family, thus allowing it to function as an instigator of change by presenting it as a character that each migrant worker must attempt to

Steinbeck exploits a disturbing and melancholy tone in The Grapes of Wrath in order to describe the desolation and destitution of California, once the Joad family arrives. A majority of the novel supports Steinbeck’s disturbing tone, especially with the novel set during the Great Depression; moreover, the setting of the novel proves parallel with Steinbeck’s disturbing tone. Many families traveled to California in attempts to begin a better life; however, many of the migrants discovered that California’s lifestyle did not meet any of the expectation many of the families had. The poverty, low wages, and unemployment that the Okies faced in California proved disappointing, and Steinbeck continually illustrates the struggles the Okies face to

The sermon-like feel of the chapter is effective because it motivates the audience, willing the workers to come together and unite against the elite. The words that Steinbeck chooses to use in this chapter not only resemble biblical language, they also show a clear contrast with how the land is being used. The biblical language can be recognized when Steinbeck beautifully depicts California before the greed manifested. He describes what can be perceived as paradise, an allusion of sorts to the Garden of Eden. This language and allusion brings the audience a sense of serenity and peacefulness that soothes the reader. This sensation is ripped away from the reader when he begins to describe the rot and the decay caused by the miserliness of the elite. By depicting the good found in the land with quasi-biblical language, the greed of the privileged becomes much more malicious and cruel. This contrast helps the audience grasp Steinbeck’s message of how the greed is causing so much turmoil in a state that was once plentiful and luscious. Steinbeck also relies on symbolism to portray his message.

Novarre Scott Momaday's book The Way to Rainy Mountain is both a personal and anthropological exploration of the ways of the Kiowa Indian tribe. Momaday was raised on a Navajo Reservation, but was educated within the 'white' university system, where he first gained a reputation as a poet. His work straddles the borders of the genre of autobiography and ethnography. The book is the story of a tribe, a chronicle of both history and myth. "There are on the way to Rainy Mountain, many landmarks, many journeys in the one" (Momaday 4). Although about a people whose lives have been displaced and forever changed as a result of colonialization, the book functions less as a political critique and polemic and more as an internal spiritual journey. "Rather, it describes a process: a people, one person and one family at a time, preserves essential aspects of its heritage, connects through imagination to that heritage, and in so doing, assures its survival" (Charles 66).

John Steinbeck inserts accurate facts into The Grapes of Wrath to demonstrate the narrative events of this book actually occurred in real migrant’s lives. Steinbeck uses the names of actual towns and cities in California so his readers can obtain deeper meaning in his work. “Well why don ' we go to Marysville? Ma demanded… Ma said “We’re a-goin to Marysville. I don’t care what the pay is, were a-goin” (451) “Sallisaw to Gore is 21 miles and Hudson was.. from Gore to Warner 13 miles; Warner to Checotah 14 mile; Checotah a long jump to Henrietta,- 34 miles” (157) Each of the towns mentioned are actual places that migrants traveled through. Steinbeck demonstrates the reality of migrants situations by using authentic information about migrant’s journeys. Steinbeck’s application of historically accurate facts creates a more realistic story. “Bing Crosby, Benny Goodman. At one end of the counter, a covered case; candy cough drops, caffeine sulphate called Sleepless; No Doze; candy,

John Steinbeck usually uses California and the Salinas valley as his setting and is usually placed in the 30s when the great depression occurred. The Grapes of Wrath is about a family living in Oklahoma and they are farmers during the period called the dustbowl in which culture was rough because there were droughts and conditions were not suitable for farming. This family, because they are not doing too well, decide to move to California to find jobs and dignity. The author writes about the struggle of a family during and Great Depression and also the struggle of each individual as their lives are being torn apart. He not only shows how they go through these hardships, but also how they will overcome them. In John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, he argues that all who follow the ways of the Bible will become renewed at the end. He uses religion and parallelism in order to bring to light, the chance of hope that is evident within dire circumstances, and project changes within people during turmoil.

In early September 1936, Steinbeck went back to Salinas to find that there was a violent clash between growers and workers over a strike that resulted in riots and killings. This turned Steinbeck upside down, because now it was not only something happening in California, but was happening in the town where he grew up.

Steinbeck uses the literary device of metaphor by narrating the Joad family's journey to California, in comparison to the other migrant families in the intercalary chapters. Throughout the novel, there are a few of these chapters that help develop themes like re-birth, community, perserverance, etc, through key symbols, to support the narrative chapters.

John Steinbeck was born and raised in Salinas, California, a town well known for farming and being poor. Its thought that his many conversations with the migrant workers of the area inspired a lot of his work, such as “Of Mice and Men”, a

In early September 1936, Steinbeck went back to Salinas to find that there was a violent clash between growers and workers over a strike that resulted in riots and killings. This turned Steinbeck upside down, because now it was not only something happening in California, but was happening in the town where he grew up.

John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath depicts, the 1930’s Dust Bowl and the migration of thousands of American families who are unable to support themselves and forced to move west in an attempt to find work and rebuild their American Dream. Steinbeck’s detailed account of the migrant struggle and their experience with acute suffering during the Great Depression makes this a heart wrenching novel. The novel tells a story about an Oklahoma family, the Joads, who are involuntarily pushed off their homestead and forced to move west to the promised land of California, to find their American Dream.

     John Steinbeck wrote about what surrounded him. At the time he was writing, the nineteen-thirties, a great depression was plaguing the United States. Many people were out of work. Many farmers were losing their farms and homes. An extreme drought had also wrecked the farms of the Midwest and made them into what is now referred to as the "dust bowl". It was a terrible time to be poor, and most were. People died of malnutrition every day. In California, where Steinbeck resided, migrant workers dominated the workforce. Thousands traveled from all around to pick fruit in the farms of the Salinas Valley for minuscule wages. Thousands more could not find suitable