Character Analysis : The Grapes Of Wrath

Throughout John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath, many concepts appear that were noted in How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster. However, the three chapters of Foster’s how-to guide that most apply to Steinbeck’s novel were “It’s All About Sex…,” “Every Trip is a Quest (Except When It’s Not),” and “It’s More Than Just Rain or Snow.” On more than one occasion these concepts are hidden within the book, and two of them actually seem somewhat linked together. After reading between the lines, The Grapes of Wrath has an extremely intricate plot and many ulterior meanings. Foster’s book helps to solve these meanings and make it so that the novel can be completely understood.

circumstances I have not had enough time to do a complete rough draft. My plan

The Grapes of Wrath, written by John Steinbeck, is considered by many to be the hallmark of American literature. It covers the journey of the Joad family as they stick together through one of the harshest eras in American history, the Great Depression. The structure of the Joad’s narrative is interspersed by smaller, highly descriptive interchapters, which sets the novel apart from other classics in its ability to make the reader understand and relate to the Joads and everything they went through. The detailed, impactful vignettes foreshadow problems the Joads have to overcome and the overview descriptions in the vignettes contrast with the specificities of the Joad’s story. They contain Biblical allusions, colorful descriptions, and objects that can interact with the main characters later in the narrative. Through the use of imagery and diction, the vignettes make Steinbeck’s message more impactful and meaningful.

“At the heart of every immigrant’s experience is a dream- a vision of hope that is embodied in his or her destination” (Gladstein 685). In the novel, The Grapes of Wrath the migrants imagined the absolute aspects of living care free to the west. However, everything changed once they traveled to the west, realizing the simple concept turned into hazardous problems. John Steinback emphasized the American dream of economic stability and truculent situations towards the Joads family's point of view. Throughout the immigration, the Joads family goes through constant and unpredictable changes in employment, and their eventual failure to find success in California. The novel has been called by critics "a celebration of the human spirit", in several ways it is true due to the aspects of human nature. Despite the hazardous actions people can do, it is important to realize everything around us.

Ye, have heard that it hath been said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy." But I say unto you, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hat you, and pray for them which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

1-1. “Before me and Neeka started asking D about her life, we were erasers too—she got to step into our world, with all the trees and mamas calling from windows and kids playing on the block, and forget.” (18)

Two character archetypes in my book were the depressed mother and the surfer boy archetype. One character that fits the 'depressed mother' archetype is Jayne after her soon died from a car accident Jayne became depressed and isolated,"everything. I want so badly to tell her - the broken mother who after all this time might finally be able to fix all of us. ' Frankie's - she's managing okay,' I say, wanting to kick myself. All the things I could have shared, and that's what comes out.

If I should die bfore i wake ch1-2: "we even wore the same coat, with the same star decorations: canary yellow stars, one on the front and one on the back" (11). The star symbolizes that Chana is a Jew. Do you believe that it was wise for the kids to try to go to school? No because not only do the kids not get to go to school they have to work. What is the motive for chana to keep cleaning?

“I got thinkin’ how we was holy when we was one thing, an’ mankin’ was holy when it was one thing”

A quote I liked from this section was “The camp looked as though it had been through an epidemic, empty and dead“I think it was important to include this quote because it helps us picture the condition of the camp. Elie uses the word epidemic which means a widespread infectious disease in a community. We can visualize how badly the camp is messed up or trashed.

Characters mutate more and more as the novel progresses, which makes the character dynamic. The change that a character undergoes works to impact the overall theme of the novel. Over the course of John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, one of the characters, ma Joad has drastically developed. She changes into a more nourishing and optimistic character.

The Grapes of Wrath is set in the horrible stage of our American history, the Depression. Economic, social, and historical surroundings separate the common man of America into basically the rich and poor. A basic theme is that man turns against one another in a selfish pride to only protect themselves. For example, the landowners create a system in which migrants are treated like animals and pushed along from one roadside camp to the next. They are denied decent wages and forced to turn against their fellow scramblers to simply survive.

The author’s purpose for writing chapter 3 of The Grapes of Wrath was to convey to the audience not to avoid your problems but to hit them “head on”. In this chapter, the turtle shows resilience by facing his problems. For example it states, “The old humorous eyes looked ahead, and the horny beak opened a little” (Steinbeck 16). This shows that even after almost facing death, the turtle continues to finish his journey. Chapter three also states, “And as the turtle crawled on down the embankment its shell dragged dirt over the seeds” (Steinbeck 16). This shows how the turtle continues life no matter the troubles he faced. The author uses symbolism to show the turtle’s determination. “His front wheel struck the edge of the shell, flipped the turtle…it’s front foot caught a piece of

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck uses numerous literary techniques to advocate for change in the social and political attitudes of the Dust Bowl era. Simile, personification, and imagery are among the many devices that add to the novel’s ability to influence the audience’s views. Moreover, through his use of detail, Steinbeck is able to develop a strong bond between the reader and the Joad clan. This bond that is created evokes empathy from the audience towards the Joads as they face numerous challenges along their journey. The chapters go between the Joad’s story and a broad perspective of the Dust Bowl’s effect on the lives of Mid-western farmers in which Steinbeck illustrates dust storms devastating the land, banks evicting tenant

The Dust Bowl, a series of severe dust storms in the 1930’s, left the southern plains of the United States as a wasteland. The storms occurred due to the lack of use of dryland farming techniques to prevent wind erosion. Powerful winds would pick up loose soil and carry the sediment around the countryside. Called “black blizzard” or “black rollers”, these storms had the potential to black out the sky completely. Due to the inability to grow and sell crops, banks evicted families and foreclosed their properties, leaving them homeless and without an income. The author of The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck, wrote his American realist novel to allow readers to understand the experiences of the migrants from the Dust Bowl era. Not many