Turtles 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 novel The Grapes of Wrath is in many ways a one-of-a-kind piece of literature. This work is set up unlike any other book, written in a series of chapters and inter-chapters, which do a remarkable job of informing the reader of the travels the characters in the book are going through. Not only does the story focus on the problems one family goes through, but explains the problem is happening to many more civilians than the story focus's on. Steinbeck does not leave out a single detail about the Joad family and their journey to California, and that in itself is what makes his writing so entertaining. Not only is this a very powerful topic to write about, but the remarkable writing style of author John Steinbeck makes this book a

Critical Essays on Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, Ed. John Ditsky, G.K. Hall. 1989, 97-10

As an example of good writing, the passage about the turtle is especially effective. This passage, which can be found in chapter 3 of the novel, describes the journey of a turtle trying to cross a highway road and was purposely almost run over by one man. This passage is effective particularly because of its use of literary devices. Steinbeck represents symbolism and foreshadowing simultaneously through the turtle and his journey. The turtle symbolizes the families who are traveling to California and the turtle’s struggle to cross the

Repetition is restating an idea by using the same words. For example, “The wrath of God” and by that it expressed God’s hatred towards sinners. Another example of repetition is “Mere pleasure of God”. “Mere pleasure of God” means God will be made aware and will take action to what is happening or to what has happen. They are multiple examples of repetition used by Jonathan Edwards in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.

In The Handmaid's tale, Margaret Atwood uses repetition in her writing to emphasize meaning. For example, on page 72, it says, "Her fault, her fault, her fault, we chant in unison." This event occurs when the handmaids are in “testifying” and Janine is telling the story of how she was Gang raped at the age of 14 and had an abortion. Aunt Helena is humiliating her by making the other handmaids chant things like, “She did,” or, “crybaby,” as well as other things on this page. Repetition is one of the literary devices that Margaret atwood uses in her writing.

   In The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck uses both obvious references and subtle contrasts to emphasize the main theme of the novel: the sanctity of man's relationship to the natural world and to each other.

Unsatisfied with his throne, Yertle the Turtle, king of the pond, orders the turtles around him to

In The Grapes of Wrath, the Joad family experiences many hardships on the journey to and in California, ranging from dying family members to a lack of sufficient food. In the third chapter of the novel, author John Steinbeck introduces a determined turtle who attempts to make its journey across a highway. The turtle is apparently nearly run over multiple times, and is actually hit by a car. This causes the turtle to be flipped on its shell, until it catches its footing and “little by little the shell [pulls] over and [is] flopped upright”(16). The turtle then continues its journey and successfully crosses the highway. Although this chapter may have seemed out of place, as the turtle seems to have nothing to do with the novel, Steinbeck’s use of symbolism is apparent. The turtle itself is supposed to symbolize the Joad family and the struggles they face trying to find a better life. Like the turtle, the family is knocked down many times, and like the turtle the family is still able to find its footing and stay determined. The Joad family’s goal is to make a living in California, and although they will face many challenges, they still have their eyes set on crossing their own personal and hazardous turtle highway.

Ronald Dahl’s use of repetition adds to the scare factor of “The Landlady” and “Lamb to the Slaughter”. In the story “Landlady” Billy Weaver was walking down the street and saw a Bed and Breakfast sign. He couldn’t decide between The Bed and Breakfast or The Bell and Dragon but something kept drawing him in into the Bed and Breakfast. Ronald kept repeating the words Bed and Breakfast that means that we should remember there is an important meaning for that to come up multiple times. In the story “Lamb to the Slaughter” the wife wants to cook dinner for her husband very badly.

   When Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath, our country was just starting to recover from The Great Depression.  The novel he wrote, though fiction, was not an uncommon tale in many lives.  When this book was first published, the majority of those reading it understood where it was coming from-they had lived it.  But now very few people understand the horrors of what went on in that time.  The style in which Steinbeck chose to write The Grapes of Wrath helps get across the book's message.

The Grapes of Wrath is a great example of the historical events that have happened in America. The book focused of the things that took place in the 1930s when the book was written. Steinbeck focuses on three main events that took place and they were the Depression, Dust Bowl, and the New Deal. All of these things have had a great impact on everyone’s life that have survived through the great ordeals. This book let you in on what the people went through in the 1930s and how they moved on from it.

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 novel form of Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck uses different literary elements, which are not present in the movie, to provide a deeper meaning of the story. One major element in the novel that is absent in the movie is Steinbeck's use of

So, half running, half skipping, Lily showed her father the place where she had seen the turtle. Her father stared in amazement “How did you spot that tiny thing!” He used an axe to slowly chip away at the ice, but to no avail. Then he cracked the ice with a hammer, afraid he would smash the turtle, but he reached down into the freezing, now muddied, water, and fished out a tiny frozen turtle. Tears streamed from my red cheeks, it was dead. But my father