1) The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck documents the Great Depression and the plight of farmers who lost their lands in the Dust Bowl and migrated to California in search of work. 2) The novel follows the Joad family as they are forced to leave their farm in Oklahoma and travel to California in their truck, facing many hardships along the way. 3) Through vivid descriptions and complex characters representing different human qualities, Steinbeck brings to life the difficulties faced by ordinary families during this era of economic crisis and environmental disaster.

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English Literature
12 July 2011
The Grapes of Wrath
By: John Steinbeck
All through history, a number of great events have taken place that captured
onlooker’s attention, both onlookers of that period as well as the onlookers who are not
yet born. Textbooks captured these events. The hearts of the people also played a part in
preserving them. Writing experts played key roles in ensuring that the events are
preserved in order for the future generations to remember and to be informed about the
occurrences. The Grapes of Wrath is a book like such. In it, a significant historical event
having enormous impact on a number of individuals was documented as well as
preserved to be seen by the future generation. In the book, John Steinbeck talks of the
unending tirade that hovered over the unending unemployment cycle, as well as the
desire for happiness, stability, and independence.
This novel starts with the scene that shows the consequences of a normal dust storm.
The dust storm is not unique or rare at all, however, it takes place normally. Sand has
calmed down, village men are assessing the damages that have been caused as children
and women sit patiently waiting for them. This episode is passive, and talks of nobody in
particular. It also talks to nobody in particular; rather, it talks generally to people as a
whole. In the chapter that follows, the book starts Tom Joad’s narrative. He is a former

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convict who is looking for his former family members after being sentenced four years in
jail. The narrative also occurs in Oklahoma.
This changing pattern that takes place between the historical chapters which does not
entail any direct action, and the ones of historical-fiction episodes, continues to change
all though this book. It is noted that the length of historical chapters extend up to three
chapters from a single chapter at ago. However, fictional chapters extend not more than a
single chapter at ago.
The author of the book showed the character’s feelings, the major theme, as well as
timeframe in a manner that the ultimate effect is the one of an entire circle. Despite the
fact that the story does not seem to end, its sense of accomplishment is ever present in a
way that cannot be explainable.
This novel entails an account of movements done by Joad’s family, Tom Senior, Tom
Junior, Connie, Ruthie, Rosasharn, Winfield, Granpa, Granma, Ma, Uncle John, and also
their best friend Casy, who is an ex-reverend. A number of crops grown in Texas as well
as Oklahoma had been purchased by the bank. The bank applied an enhanced technology
in order to farm, and reap. They also used technology for the preparation of crops with
minimal efforts. Through the use of technology, commercial firms were rapidly created
by the banks. The banks also made very huge profits. They did not think of the living
creatures. They therefore ruined the lives of Oklahoma residents. The citizens were now
not capable of meeting their customers’ demands. They were hence obliged to have their
farms sold, and also to get other ways of living.
The novel’s mood can be noted immediately it begins; the esteem of the major
characters does not exist. Their reluctance, stubbornness, as well as their incapability

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motivates them to start a new life California from Oklahoma. They do not have even a
rough idea of where they are heading to. They only have it in mind that they have to
leave. Along the path of Joad family’s dreams, a number of obstacles are put.
Another significant factor that can be noted in this novel is the combination of
characters presenting themselves in unambiguous ways; all of them have unmovable as
well as precise roles to play in the story. Every character also stands for a given
significant human nature aspect. For instance, Tom Jr. is a symbolism of rebellious spirits
which are found in beings that are oppressed, Granpa on the other hand symbolizes a
man’s or a woman’s reluctance to be taken away from legal property. Other members of
the family symbolize important aspects like youth, hope, innocence, sacrifice, leadership,
persistence, as well as admiration. The single most significant of all these aspects is
sacrifice and it is illustrated through Casy.
Tom Joad Jr. is significant in that he makes the family to be together. He also stops
them from moving away. At first, he was imprisoned for four years after murdering
someone in self-defense. He had a good behavior while in prison and therefore, he was
released by the prison officials three years after being imprisoned. However, he was told
not to move out of Oklahoma until a year elapses.
Since the family of Joad was forcefully moved westward, Tom disclosed to the
parents the parole’s conditions; however, the situation left no option. Therefore, the
family of Joad continued to move towards the westward side. At this time, they were
hopeless and what they were doing was contrary to the law. This later played a major role
in the book, because as they traveled, their sadness’ accrue, and result into a big trouble
that the entire family has to join in order for them move with it together.

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Nevertheless, since all individuals are required to do following the carriage of the
world’s weight on the shoulders, Ruthie whose age is 12 dropped the load she was
carrying, and carried an even larger weight when she unintentionally said the crimes her
brother had done. The family of Joad had suffered, and having a specific thought that
they could not avoid, they moved on.
A number of the students from the high school or teenagers, usually, does not know a
number of books that are got from “Literary Canon”,; however, The Grapes of Wrath is
not presented like this. It has an intricate system of writing which appeals to young
people through the fact that it is very simple. The book also appeals to adults by its
interwoven, unequivocally and intricate realistic plot. The book illustrates the problems
that are experienced by average families coming from middle class. It now appears that
this occurrence has ceased in America after the elapse of seventy-five years.
Presently, official jobs that are occupied by a number of the citizens who are in the
middle class are comparable to the menial jobs. When the jobs that are being held by
Chief Executive Officers of our century are taken into consideration, an analogy relating
it to 1930’s can be created. Nevertheless, the situation can be said to have improved
because the living standards have greatly improved. The luxury that was held by people
in upper class of the 1930’s today is held by people from the middle-class. However, the
upper class of today lives in an unprecedented luxury that was not existent during the last
era.
The family of the Joads did not have individual enemies or opponents. Again, they
would not have had enemies. However, people hated them because they were among the
people who moved towards western coast from Oklahoma. All those who moved were

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hated. It is very clear that if Joad’s family moved at another time that is different from the
other people; they could not have had a very hard experience. They could also have got
jobs and besides, they could have lived a very stable lifestyle. They could have also
accomplished the dreams that they had.
The Grapes of Wrath is indeed a comprehensive book. It is filled with numerous fun
fiction as well as historical facts. It applies a combination of the fun and historical facts to
create a very sensible story, a story that is indisputably very accurate as far as history is
concerned. It is therefore a very good novel. It provides the readers with experiences
relating to depression, how the people lived in dust bowl and how they suffered from
unemployment in the 1930’s.
To summarize this book, The Grapes of Wrath is a classical novel that is also a well
written art. It is highly descriptive. The author’s captivating writing techniques provides
the book with a very distinct feel. It should however, be noted that the author had his
personal motives when writing this novel. His main motive was to share with others his
socialist point of view.