Grapes Of Wrath Research Paper

The Grapes of Wrath was a depiction of life in the Great Depression, specifically in the areas the Dust Bowl affected. The Joad family represents the “Okies”, which were people who went west looking for jobs. They also showcase the unfortunate events that happened to millions of people during the Great Depression. The Joad’s land was taken away/plowed over by superintendent and the land agents. After the destruction of their home and land they head west, to California, in search of jobs. With the Californians only using the Okies for cheap labor and giving them poor living conditions, they didn’t receive the best reputation. The Californians were rude to the Okies and treating them how they did is because the Okies were taking their jobs and

In the American epic novel, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, there are pivotal and dynamic changes that occur in the various significant characters of Jim Casy, Ma Joad, and Tom Joad. Steinbeck specifically uses these characters to show their common realizations about all of humanity, in order to demonstrate his underlying meaning about the importance of people coming together, helping each other out, and surviving. Ma Joad illustrates this idea clearly when she speaks to Tom mid-way through the novel: “Why, Tom, we’re the people that live. They ain’t gonna wipe us out. Why we’re the people--we go on.” (350)

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.

In the novel, The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck depicts the stories of migrant families during the Dust Bowl, where dust covered plantations, resulting in barren fields with incapabilities to grow crops. Due to barren lands, landowners forced the farmers off the fields, which causes the farmers to lose all of the reasons to stay. Therefore, the farmers set out onto a new journey that will hopefully lead them to a place where life can restart. However, this journey is not a perfectly smooth path; on the journey, the farmers face various adversities. Out of the countless families, John Steinbeck highlights the Joad family, who suffers through numerous misfortunes on the way West, toward California. Through the Joad family, Steinbeck portrays the novel as a form of social protest by emphasizing the unjust treatments the families receive , the deterioration of the false allusions the families hold of the American Dream, and by suggesting a future revolt of the working class.

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.

The third idea working to persuade readers was the importance of people staying together. In regards to the Joad family and all migrating families as a whole, it seemed most beneficial to remain unified and to work as a team. Ma Joad was always very concerned that her family stuck together. It was important that Grandpa traveled along with the family when they were first leaving in Chapter 10 and she felt the same about Tom when he wanted to leave in Chapter 26, even though it was safer for the family she wanted her son to stay. Not only was it important for the Joads to remain compact, but everyone who was

     The book, Grapes of Wrath, follows the life of the Joad family, who live in Oklahoma during the Depression. The story begins with the return of Tom Joad from prison, where he has spent the last few years. He killed a boy in a bar fight and is now on parole. He is taken by surprise when he returns to Oklahoma only to find that his house is in ruins and his family is not there. He doesn’t know that, while he was gone, the banks forced his family and thousands of others off their land. Tom is accompanied by a former priest, Casey, who searches with Tom for his family. Tom and Casey find the Joad family at Tom’s uncle’s house. The family is preparing to move west to California in hopes that they

It was obvious that the mother and father were the main heads of the house, the grandparents overall had the final say. But that quickly deteriorated as the family got the grandfather drunk and passed out to carry him along on their voyage. And as the two grand parents passed away, it was the mother that the family, mainly Tom, turned to for guidance. Family also had several seemed to evolve from previous notions of blood or love ties, to anyone willing to come along on the journey to California, and anyone willing to help out. Another essence of family importance in noticed when the husband of the couple that had accompanied the Joads on their journey had abandoned his new wife and their expecting child. I think this is a good example of how romantic and family love had been torn apart due to the horror of the great depression.

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.

In Steinbeck's novel, The Grapes of Wrath, he describes the struggle of the small farmer and farmworker. The principal characters define quiet dignity and courage in their struggle to survive and in the caring for their loved ones. Through this novel, Steinbeck displays his respect for all the poor and oppressed of our world.

In the Grapes of Wrath, the author John Steinbeck really emphasizes the importance of unity and family throughout the novel. That is the main theme of this novel, Steinbeck shows us that you need unity and the help of family to succeed in many aspects of life. Without family and support we would all probably be very lost, family helps support you through tough times. And on the migrant's quest to find a new life family comes up big many times.

The essential aspects of The Grapes of Wrath are family and the fight to survive while still holding on to what dignity they have left. The film starts off with the son (Tom Joad) hoping to make his way back home to his family. He gets a ride from a truck driver and continues on to stumble upon the old family preacher (Casey). (1)During the conversation between Tom and Casey, Casey tells Tom, “I’m not a preacher anymore”, and throughout the film we will hear him say this repeatedly. We can start to see the change in his dignity as a human more when the story progresses on. The two men head towards Tom’s family home and it is not what Tom was expecting. As the two men look around the house to see if anyone was there they find Muley, a farmer and a friend of the family. Muley tells the men what has been happening and that Tom’s family had been forced off their land like everyone else. (2) As we listen to Muley talk about how the bank and big businesses were forcing people off their land we are introduced to conflict which is trying to survive while keeping some

The Grapes of Wrath was published in 1939, an era where racial discrimination was far more common than today. The whites of America stood at the front of a great nation with the colored and racially diverse working class sitting beneath them facing threats and physical pain from their pale counterparts. Despite this, John Steinbeck focuses the novel on the prejudices of the white man against their own people. The police and farm owners of California react to the influx of poor workers the way many white people reacted to recently freed slaves during the 1860’s and 70’s. They see no flaw in taking advantage of them, starving them or beating them. One major theme of The Grapes of Wrath is that everyone is connected and contributes to the good of mankind. Coinciding with that idea is that one discriminatory act is identical to any other by the way they are brought to exist.

“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

Throughout the book, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, the physical transition of the Joad family from a small close-knit group of people living a quiet life on a farm in Oklahoma, corresponds with the internal transition of the concept of family. As the Joads leave their farm and journey westward, they no longer live just within their own isolated unit. Becoming involved with other families as they migrate, changes their focus and by the end of the book, the family members each reach out in their own way to embrace all of mankind as a family.