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Grapes Of Wrath Analysis

Decent Essays

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. Interchapter 21 describes the flood of migrants coming into California and the locals reaction to it. The migrants, forced out of their homes by the dust storms, banks, and tractors, are coming to California to find jobs and rebuild their families. The locals take up arms against the “dirty and ignorant” (Steinbeck 283) Okies “with clubs, with gas, with guns.” (283) The diction of “dirty and ignorant” shows the brewing hostility of the locals, prompting them to beat them back with clubs, gas, and guns. Despite the Californians best attempts to push the migrants

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