John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath is one of the most influential books in American History, and is considered to be his best work by many. It tells the story of one family’s hardship during the Depression and the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s. The Joads were a hard-working family with a strong sense of togetherness and morals; they farmed their land and went about their business without bothering anyone. When the big drought came it forced them to sell the land they had lived on since before anyone can remember. Their oldest son, Tom, has been in jail the past four years and returns to find his childhood home abandoned. He learns his family has moved in with his uncle John and decides to travel a short distance to see them. He …show more content…
The bar of cold white light swung over their heads and crisscrossed the field. The hiding men could not see any movement, but they heard a car door slam and they heard voices. “Scairt to get in the light,” Muley whispered. “Once-twice I’ve took a shot at the headlights. That keeps Willy careful. He got somebody with ‘im tonight.” They heard footsteps on wood, and then from inside the house they saw the glow of a flashlight. “Shall I shoot through the house?” Muley whispered. “They couldn’t see where it come from. Give ‘em sompin to think about.” (80)
The Grapes of Wrath is two intertwined stories. One of the Joad family and their personal struggles, and the other of the greater effect of the Dust Bowl and depression on the massive amounts of people like the Joads. He trades off each chapter, one chapter telling the story of the Joads and the next talking about the migrants. He uses the Joads to bring the story home to the reader, defeating the myth about the Okies. That myth being, as put by a service station attendant, “They ain’t human.” (301) Throughout the novel Steinbeck goes to prove that the Joads are perhaps the most humane people out there. As the story progresses the Joads progress as well, from only being concerned with their own personal welfare and living to being aware of injustice towards everyone like them. This is accompanied by the disintegration of the smaller family unit, which is replaced by the larger world family
The dust bowl was a tragic time in America for so many families and John Steinbeck does a great job at getting up-close and personal with one family to show these tragedies. In the novel, “The Grapes of Wrath”, John Steinbeck employed a variety of rhetorical devices, such as asyndeton, personification and simile, in order to persuade his readers to enact positive change from the turmoil of the Great Depression. Throughout the novel, Steinbeck tells the fictional narrative of Tom Joad and his family, while exploring social issues and the hardships of families who had to endure the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Steinbeck’s purpose was to challenge readers to look at
When examining John Steinbeck’s, Grapes of Wrath’” he details the story of the Joads an Oklahoma family on their way to California in the midsts of the Dust Bowl. As he discusses their journey towards the american dream he inserts several intercalary chapters that break up the discussion of the Joads and shifts the focus towards the things that symbolizes them. In the novel there are several intercalary chapters that are used to depict the lies and deceit that occurs to the Joads right under their nose.
The Grapes of Wrath, written by John Steinbeck, has many valuable life lessons to take away and use in your own life. There are many key points in life that anyone may face and can learn from. John Steinbeck intelligently assimilates these into his writing. One of the most important lessons to learn is that determination can get you through many of lifes controversies. In the novel, the Joad family demonstrates determination in many scenarios. This shows itself various times over the course of the book; therefore, it is to be considered a theme. Although the Joad family comes across a large number of problems, they manage to find a way to solve them through the use of determination. Due to the Joad family’s strong belief in kindness and compassion throughout the novel, Steinbeck illustrates the theme of determination in The Grapes of Wrath very well as we see the family faces and conquers their issues on their travel to California.
One would say that on a literal level The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is about the Joad family's journey to California during The Dust Bowl. However, it is also about the unity of a family and the concept of birth and death, both literal and abstract. Along with this, the idea of a family unit is explored through these births and deaths.
Based on John Steinbeck's book The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck believes that individualism is the main cause of most of the problems of the planet. When the Joad family lost their farm due to the money-hungry banks, they packed all of their remaining belongings and journeyed to California in search of work. They soon discover that the only way they are going to survive is by breaking down the family barriers and unite with other migrant workers towards a common goal.
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.
Migrants’ ability to keep moving forward, despite countless hardships both mentally and physically, is the theme most strongly communicated in The Grapes of Wrath; through Steinbeck’s display of both small and large scale problems, and the use of symbolism, he tells a relatable story that is all about moving forward; while it has changed form significantly in some ways, examples of this ability still exist today and can be seen by looking at the stories of many American families struggling to survive. The entire book is a compilation of examples of this ability of moving forward, and it can be seen throughout nearly every moment in The Grapes of Wrath. The Joads and the other migrants they represent face not only internal challenges, but external
The central conflict in The Grapes of Wrath is the Dust Bowl during the 1930’s and its effects on tenant farmers. The Joads are just one of many families affected by this disaster. The story revolves around their move to California and their search for jobs. The quality that helps them endure is their ambition. Their desire to be successful drives them to work hard and support one another. Their ambition is symbolized by their move to California and search
Whether it was increased rent by corrupt landowners or a typical drought, the result was
The Grapes of Wrath written by John Steinbeck, still remains one of the most controversial novels ever written. “The book was publicly banned in some places, burned in others, and heatedly debated on the radio” (Wartzman). The novel follows the Joad family on their journey to California and their struggles to survive during the Dust Bowl and The Great Depression. The family, along with the thousands of many other migrants, were treated poorly from the Californians. They came with the promise of work, but found very little.
During the great depression in the plains of Oklahoma, workers were forced out of their homes as their crops withered away to nothing and dust took over. The general feeling of these migrant workers during the late 20’s and early 30’s can be summarized by the struggle for survival showcased in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. In the novel, a family called the Joads makes their way westward in hopes of a better life for themselves and their future families. In order to understand the zeitgeist during the dust bowl and the experiences of migrant workers, one must first analyze the intercalary chapters and identify with the characters and their various struggles.
As a major literary figure since the 1930s, Steinbeck displays in his writing a characteristic respect for the poor and oppressed. In many of his novels, his characters show signs of a quiet dignity and courage for which Steinbeck has a great admiration. For instance, in The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck describes the unrelenting struggle of the people who depend on the soil for their livelihood. One element helping give this novel an added touch of harmony is Steinbeck’s ability to bind these two ideas into one story: the never ending struggle to survive and primacy of the family.
In the epic movie Grapes of Wrath, director John Ford depicted a saga of one family trying to survive the 1930’s. In watching this film, it helped me to understand the hardships of the American migrants. The characters showed unique traits and dealt with problems each in a different way.The Dust Bowl was an ecological and human disaster that took place in the southwestern Great Plains region, including Oklahoma. Misuse of land and years of sustained drought caused it. Millions of acres of farmland became useless, and hundreds of thousands of people were forced to leave their homes --many migrated to California.
In the novel, The Grapes of Wrath, the author, John Steinbeck, explores the themes of family, betrayal, and social class struggles. Readers see the historical significance of the Dust Bowl and witness the effects on a fictional family named the Joads. Dust storms of the 1930s force travel upon people of the American prairie as agriculture, ecology, and economy enter a period of pure havoc. The characters evolve extensively throughout the plot due to the historically challenging migration, which the progressing tones of confidence, dejection, and hope exemplify.
“They had no argument, no system, nothing but their numbers and their needs. When there was work for a man, ten men fought for it – fought with a low wage. If that fella’ll work for thirty cents, I’ll work for twenty-five”(Steinbeck). The renowned novel, The Grapes of Wrath, is a realistic portrayal of life and social conditions during the 30’s when the Dust Bowl swept across the nation, causing many to fall deeper into the depression. This caused many families to leave their homes in search of a safer and more hopeful land. The Grapes of Wrath follows Tom Joad, his family, and many other migrant farmers as they migrate from their Oklahoma farms into their new, hope filled life in California. The struggles that these characters endure