Sexism In John Steinbeck's 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.

The Great Depression marked one of the most economic and social downfalls in the history of the modern world. During this time, a handful of American writers chose to reflect how their lives were affected during this time period through literature. Because of the divide in social class during this time, various standards of personal position were demonstrated through the published opinions of literary activists. John Steinbeck, known as one of the most popular American modern authors to ever put pen to paper, illustrated how the Great Depression and movement into the modern world left its noticeable footprint on him and the world around him. With that, Steinbeck’s “writing in the 1930’s protested against tendencies in the American way of life...” (Gray). Steinbeck undoubtedly had his mind set on prevailing the new American lifestyle to the world. In his novel The Grapes of Wrath, indicates

The novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is set in a time during the great depression, in a poor farming town where everyone is reliant on one another for their own survival. During a tough summer of farming due to dust suffocating large numbers of crops, families are struggling to survive. When the large companies that own the land realize it would be more profitable to evict the current residents and farm it all with large machinery many families are forced to leave their homes of many generations and travel halfway across the country to support their families. We see many examples of man’s inhumanity to man and greed throughout the course of this novel.

Allusions are used in literature for multitudes of reasons; usually to foreshadow an event in the novel, or to give the piece a deeper meaning. Sometimes, allusions are used to prove authorial purpose. In The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck uses allusions to prove the resiliency of the human spirit and how hope can persevere through even the worst of situations.

During the Great Depression, many citizens faced an arduous lifestyle of unemployment. However, many people managed to entertain themselves by reading literature such as The Grapes of Wrath. John Steinbeck witnessed an injustice towards farmers during the Great Depression, and this inspired Steinbeck to present his perspective of the maltreatment to the open through The Grapes of Wrath. The fictional novel describes how unfortunate conditions, during the Great Depression, force an Oklahoma farmer family to travel to California in search for an easy life, job opportunities, and a bright future. John Steinbeck represented and connected his tones through his trope, making it an excellent read. In the novel, The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck

Steinbeck exploits a disturbing and melancholy tone in The Grapes of Wrath in order to describe the desolation and destitution of California, once the Joad family arrives. A majority of the novel supports Steinbeck’s disturbing tone, especially with the novel set during the Great Depression; moreover, the setting of the novel proves parallel with Steinbeck’s disturbing tone. Many families traveled to California in attempts to begin a better life; however, many of the migrants discovered that California’s lifestyle did not meet any of the expectation many of the families had. The poverty, low wages, and unemployment that the Okies faced in California proved disappointing, and Steinbeck continually illustrates the struggles the Okies face to

The Grapes of Wrath is a book that takes place during the late 1930s. The 1930’s were known as the Dirty Thirties. One of the essential characters in the book The Grapes of Wrath was a man who went to prison for four years. He comes back to his homeland to find that all farms around him were deserted. They remained deserted as a result of the Great Depression.

The relationship between the government and the governed has been tested throughout American history. As people from all walks of life come together under centralized authority, the importance of employing the power that one voice can hold is observed. These truths are depicted in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau, where the role of the individual in shaping the government is closely examined. Steinbeck and Thoreau both emphasize the necessity for citizens to combat injustice in their literary works, but they differ in the extent of influence that the government should be granted. While Steinbeck portrays the government as a wicked institution, Thoreau delves into another perspective of the government that offers insight into how

In the 20th century, the average home life in rural Oklahoma was full of hard workers in the pursuit of the picture-perfect home surrounded by plentiful land. As the sun rises over the land in the morning with a red hue, it signals the commencement of the day ahead. The farmer has already been awake since before the sun broke the horizon, preparing his little equipment and his animals for his land’s work. The farmer’s wife is in the kitchen, cooking her husband a warm breakfast as a sign of her gratitude. Their children wake, running into the kitchen, bellies growling. After gobbling up the breakfast, they run outside to play and do chores of their own. The rest of the farmer’s wife’s day is spent cleaning, cooking, and looking after the

A family torn apart by poverty and desperation in the Great Depression leave their home in the dust bowl in hopes of finding a new life on the green pastures of California. This was the foundation of an award winning novel, “The Grapes of Wrath,” written by John Steinbeck. Steinbeck achieved great success as an author after writing “The Grapes of Wrath” as it sold over 10,000 copies a week for months after its debut. To illustrate life in the dust bowl, the author uses literary elements or formal components such as a sophisticated tone, natural dialect in the form of slang, and figurative language.

The 1930’s era was an incredibly tumultuous time for the United States. The stock market crash of 1929 and the Dust Bowl exacerbated the already high tensions between the rich and the poor. These tensions were also present and becoming a growing problem within the justice system of this era. As the country plunged into the depths of the Depression, the poor treatment of men and women imprisoned within the country’s jails deteriorated as well. The Dust Bowl along with the economic conditions the country, at the time led to the disparate treatment of prisoners at this time. Prejudices against certain groups of people during this time were very strong. This prejudice was demonstrated in John Steinbeck’s, The Grapes of Wrath, especially

The letter Abigail Adams wrote to her husband in the March of 1776 had one purpose. She encouraged her husband to “remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.” Adams wanted her husband to include women in the formation of the United States. Unfortunately, women were scarcely mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, Article of Confederation, or Constitution. It was not until 1919 when women were given the right to vote, and there is still a pay gap between the genders. Throughout history, the oppression of women has been a common theme. Women have been seen as the weaker sex, restricted to domestic work, and treated as less than their worth. The limited rights of women in the 1950s and 1960s

For centuries the concept of gender and equality have been issues and talking points. Attitudes toward women have gradually softened and changed for the better as they are viewed as being equal with men. Women throughout history have been referred to as housewives, and factory girls. They weren’t able to gain the respect from men until they took a stance against inequality, also known as women’s suffrage. “I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand”, stated Susan B Anthony. Many factors have contributed to the rise of the status of women throughout the history of the United States. These factors include education, income status, and political contributions.

Over time, people change and so do their roles in society. They may change because of their experiences. They become wiser and gain more experience, as they get older. Also, they may change because they have to adapt to their surroundings to help themselves and the people around them. In his novel The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck writes about a family going to California during the Great Depression and their experiences.

In the 20th century, the average home life in rural Oklahoma was full of hard workers in the pursuit of the picture-perfect home surrounded by plentiful land. The sun rose over the land, signaling the commencement of the day ahead. The farmer had already been awake since before the sun broke the horizon, preparing his little equipment and his animals for his land’s work. The farmer’s wife was in the kitchen, cooking her husband a warm breakfast as a sign of her gratitude. Their children woke and soon were running into the kitchen, bellies growling. After gobbling up the breakfast, they ran outside to play and do chores of their own. The rest of the farmer’s wife’s day was spent cleaning, cooking, and looking after the kids until the sun went down and it was time for bed. Set in this time, The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, holds contrasting female characters. Some characters show the defiance of the gender roles at the time, while others adhere to them. In some instances, a female character can surpass the expectations set upon her by the patriarchal society in which they live she lives, setting her free to use a voice she never was allowed.