The document provides a detailed summary and analysis of John Steinbeck's novel "The Grapes of Wrath". It discusses how the novel illustrates the competing demands faced by individuals and society. Through the use of symbols and tragic events, Steinbeck shows how hardship affects good people. The struggles between the rich and poor, and landowners and migrants, are depicted as ongoing battles. Working together for the common good and having a support system allows people to overcome difficulties.

1. The Grapes of Wrath<br />Ashlyn Rye<br />November 19, 2009<br />Mr. Kabachia<br />Humanities 30<br />In Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, he illustrates and elaborates on the competing demands of people and how they go about achieving their own needs and the needs of society. By using symbolism and tragic events occurring throughout this book, Steinbeck demonstrates how bad things happen to good people and how different people go about achieving and dealing with their own well-being. The nature of self preservation and the characters attempts at preserving their own well-being and the competing demands, competition between the rich, the poor and the landowners and the migrants are a battle that would have to be fought until their death. It goes to show that working together for the common good and having a support system can get you through some rough times. Steinbeck used a lot of symbols to show optimism within his novel and it holds on to a little hope throughout the novel and teaches the readers a good lesson.<br />The on-going battle between the rich and the poor, as well as the landowners and migrants is never really something that gets solved, but rather is something the teaches individuals what is wrong and what is right and that fighting for what you deserve comes with a price. Jim Casey is a good example of a huge symbol in the novel and a character that assumes the role of the Christ figure, “Every man’s soul is simply a small piece of a great soul,” and is thoroughly developed throughout the book. Although he may not have been a preacher anymore, Jim Casey spoke his words of wisdom to the family in their time of need and was a huge part in keeping them together and their heads clear. Near the end of the novel Jim Casey takes the blame for a crime that Tom Joad had committed because he did not want Tom to go back to jail. He goes on to continue to fight for the rights of the people working for very low wages and in terrible conditions and his death at the end is symbolizing the price that must be paid for equality, just as Jesus did when he died on the cross for the sins of his people. When you show a little generosity and a caring nature to others, in return they learn a lesson and go on to help others just as you’ve helped them. By the Joad’s allowing Jim Casey to come with them on their trip, he in return repays them back. Self-preservation and people’s own well-being is not entirely dependent on one individuals actions, but on the collective good of everyone’s decisions. “For here I lost my land is changed; a cell is split and from its splitting grows the thing you hate—We lost our land.” (The Grapes of Wrath, pg. 206)<br />An example of personal well-being that is greatly influenced by other’s actions is what happened to Granma Joad. Grampa and Granma Joad had lived on their land for a very long time, enough time for them to become a part of the land, it was all they ever knew and they invested all their time, money, and energy into loving and caring for that land. When you take something from someone that was their whole life, a piece of them dies, or in this situation, the person actually does die. Their land got taken away from them, their crops die and their house was destroyed and Grampa was destroyed with it. His struggle with having to leave his land resulted in his death, and Granma was holding on for his sake, he was her whole world and her life. One of the main ideas you can take from this book is that humans find their greatest strength in numbers, once you’re alone you’re left to fend for yourself. <br />Symbolism throughout this book strongly portrays a good message and by sending you a message throughout the different symbols, you can get a better understanding of the despair, wrath, and depression these people are going through. At the end of the book there was a series of unfortunate events that had occurred. Here are all these people travelling from everywhere to be able to work in these crops and earn some money just to feed their families, but once the crops started to rot and decay, this symbolized the people’s anger getting darker and stronger. When the vines and everything started to go bad, it also symbolized the anger and wrath, hence the title of the book, The Grapes of Wrath. Not only does everything start to go bad, the rain gets worse, less jobs are available and less money is able to be made and more and more people go even hungrier, but also within the Joad clan another tragedy happens. Rose of Sharon, already overcome by grief of being left by her husband Connie, had to now also deal with the death of her first child. Ma reminds her that, “You’re just one person, an they’s a lot of other folks.” By Connie abandoning her and her baby dying it marks a turning point for her, forcing her to come to terms with the conditions in which she is forced to live in. The symbolization of the dead baby comes when they put the baby in a casket and floated it down the stream, which is like when they sent Moses down the stream to send a message of change <br />Throughout the novel Ma’s ongoing expression of being scared that her family was splitting apart shows that you do find strength in numbers and without her family Ma wouldn’t be able to survive. She was normally a nice, calm lady, but when forced into this situation she became more outspoken and had started to assume the position the man usually does and started to make decisions for the family based on what would be best for everyone. Bad things happen to everyone but in this novel’s case, bad things happen to good people that are portrayed as bad people just because they are poor, and migrated from somewhere else as well as they did not have the same privileges of the landowners and the rich. Even though the Joad’s didn’t have much, they still went out of their way to help those in need and were nice to them. By being friendly and not taking the easy way out by stealing and begging for food and other necessities, they didn’t get themselves into trouble and it made them realize even more of the saying, you should treat others how you would like to be treated. When they had food and money, whatever they could spare was given to others that needed it just as bad or if not worse. By treating people kindly even though they may not show you the appreciation you deserve, you not only help out your own well being and self preservation, you help out others well being as well. Without each other they would not have survived and the nature of self preservation was based upon what they did for each other. Their competing demands greatly affected their well-being because even though they needed the basic necessities, it didn’t mean they got them and there for not only were their own needs not met, but the general needs of society weren’t met, only if you were a land owner or somebody that was rich. The migrant’s needs were based solely on how they could get what they needed to survive. By working together to achieve a common goal they stayed together and that is what is important. As opposed to the demands and needs of the more wealthy people, whose needs were already met, they and they still have more of a bad individualist perspective on everything as opposed to the migrants, who were more collectivists. <br /> <br />