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The Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck

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Christian Symbolism in The Grapes of Wrath Since the first civilizations, religion has greatly influenced the development of life. It has been a constant presence in America, tracing back to the Puritans who voyaged to the New World to escape religious persecution. Centuries later, religion has retained its place in American society, being expressed in a variety of ways and particularly emanating in times of struggle and hardship. Amidst a period of great difficulty for average Americans, John Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath in order to be a voice for the poor who suffered from the consequences of the Great Depression and to express the holiness of their suffering. Through his seemingly simple plot and humble characters, John Steinbeck reveals a complex series of Christian parallels in The Grapes of Wrath. In order to make ties to Christianity, Steinbeck structures The Grapes of Wrath to include events similar to those of the Bible. Starting with the Old Testament and progressing to the New Testament, Steinbeck relates the events of the novel to specific biblical accounts, compacting hundreds of years of biblical revelation into one work.1 The three most notable plot parallels between The Grapes of Wrath and the Bible are the symbols of the flood, the stable, and communion. Just as the flood story in the Old Testament expresses destruction and a new beginning, the flood in The Grapes of Wrath represents a much needed purge that would give way to new

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