Johnny's Life In 'The Grapes Of Wrath'

Through the roughest times in life, we come across crises that reveal the true character in those around us. Those who are strong are divided from the weak and the followers divide from the leaders. In the novel, The Grapes of Wrath, author John Steinbeck presents the character Ma Joad who serves an important role as the rock that keeps the family together. The Joad family, apart from many families in Oklahoma, is forced to leave their homes in search of work and better opportunities; California not only leaves them in poverty but despair. But through it all Ma Joad is the leader of the family that exhibits selflessness in order to protect and secure her family.

At the beginning of the novel, Tom Joad has been paroled from prison after serving time for killing a neighbor in a drunken bar fight. Tom is stabbed, and because of this, he feels he was merely defending himself from being killed. He feels no guilt over killing his neighbor and would do it again under the same conditions, to preserve his life. Tom's morals and beliefs justified the killing. These morals were taught to Tom by his family, and he believes very strongly in those beliefs. "I'd do what I done—again," said Joad. "I killed a guy in a fight. We was drunk at a dance. He got a knife in me, an' I killed him with a shovel that was layin' there. Knocked his head plumb to squash." Casy's eyebrows resumed their normal level. "You ain't ashamed of nothin' then?" "No," said Joad, "I ain't. I got seven years, account of he had a knife in me. Got out in four—parole." (Steinbeck 18)

Johnny turns into vegetable and cannot earn anymore money, his status is lowered. Johnny doesn’t want people to feel pity for him, or else it will hurt his astronomically ginormous ego. So he leaves the Laphams and sets off a journey to find a join, unfortunately he gets rejected by various artisan jobs. The butcher offers him a job, but his pride does not allow him to take the job. While Johnny tries to find a job, Mr. Laphams moves on and tries to find another heir for the shop. One day at the Laphams house Mr Tweedie (future heir) and Johnny Tremain run into each other, Johnny verbally assaults Mr. Tweedie, adding another enemy to his collection. Johnny Tremain continues his sad life and runs into the Boston Observer, a newspaper printer. He meets Rab, they get along well and Ran offers Johnny a job as a delivery boy, but Johnny declines. Johnny

   The emphasis on family in America is decreasing. Divorce rates, single-parent households, and children born out of wedlock are all increasing. Furthermore, instead of the network of aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and other relatives that was prevalent in early America, Americans today are more distant from their extended family. As sociologist David Elkind said in a 1996 interview with Educational Leadership, "Instead of togetherness, we have a new focus on autonomy. The individual becomes more important than the family" (4). This means that one of the basic needs of humanity, belongingness and love, is very likely going unfilled in many people.

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

Travis troubles with relationships with others around him, and finally that situation ruins him, like attempts to assassinate a politician and massacre of pimps. Travis gradually gets his mental disorder, because of not only himself, but relationships with others around him. Although Travis thinks himself as a lonely man, he lives in New York, a metropolitan city, where filled with many others. Travis sometimes has communication with others around him, but such his awkward communication doesn’t useful to relieve his anxiety.

Life in Oklahoma throughout the dustbowl, early 1930’s, posted as a major struggle. The Joad family faced many obstacles such as drought, dust storms, and a ruthless 2000 mile journey to California; however, the Joads pushed through the hardships and loss presented. John Steinbeck uses this unity presented by the Joads to illustrate how the family is always looking forward throughout anything thrown their way.

In the novel The Grapes of Wrath, written by John Steinbeck, it’s about a small family from Oklahoma in the late 1930’s, they are referred to the Joads throughout the novel. The reader follows along with this family from Oklahoma to the state of California for their search of jobs for the family. The Joads runs into many conflicts throughout their journey and some of these dealing with the concepts of integrity and honesty which are seen constantly in the novel.

In Steinbeck’s book “The Grapes of Wrath”, he tells the story of the Joad family and shows the difficulties facing the workers and farmers during The Great Depression. In the novel Steinbeck shows that when working together and being persistent you can live through anything.

The story of Grapes of Wrath is first set in the late 1930s in Sallisaw, Oklahoma during not only the Great Depression, but also the Dust Bowl. Due to the banks and the government acting as monsters and devouring homes and land as well as the Dust Bowl resulting in the overuse of land, the Joad family is forced to leave their home in Oklahoma and search for a new start in California. Because many other families have packed up their belongings and have already left the surrounding homes in the area, the Joad family decides to leave as well. There are many variables that have driven the Joad family to pack up their things and to begin their long journey to California. Not only are they trying to escape from their suffering on their infertile land and government

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck provides an accurate perspective of farmers living during the Dustbowl though the plight of the Joad family. The storyline creates a strong foundation for how the reader understands how the victims of it must feel during the exodus of the Oklahomans and the consequences they must face in California just for arriving there. Emotional and complex, Psalm 7 envelops how each of the Joads must feel when they come across obstacles in their westward ordeal.

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.

The 1930s were a time of hardship for many across the United States. Not only was the Great Depression making it difficult for families to eat every day, but the Dust Bowl swept through the plains states making it nearly impossible to farm the land in which they relied. John Steinbeck saw how the Dust Bowl affected farmers, primarily the tenant farmers, and journeyed to California after droves of families. These families were dispossessed from the farms they had worked for years, if not generations (Mills 388). Steinbeck was guided by Tom Collins, the real-life model for the Weedpatch camp’s manager Jim Rawley, through one of the federal migrant worker camps. He was able to see for himself,

I first thought it was Grace Windsor Wexler right away the way she thought she was better than everyone. How she seem to have her nose stuck up in everything when it was none of her business. Then always pushing her daughter Angela than being to mean to Turtle. Then slowly I realize that Turtle always being mean to everyone I thought she did it because how her mother treats her. Even Angela could have been the murder.

In the novel The Grapes of Wrath, we are shown many social issues within the story. Social issues are displayed through homelessness, adaptation, prejudice and more. The social issues bring the novel together as one, and they have a great effect on the Okies in the book. Also, adaptation plays a big part in the social issues. Steinbeck captures great struggles in migrant work on the farm and shows how workers needed to come together as one.