Grapes Of Wrath Land Analysis

In the beginning, Steinbeck portrays the land as something that had been drained, which is shown by how Steinbeck states, “The corn threshed the wind and made a dry, rushing sound. The finest dust did not settle back to earth now, but disappeared into the darkening sky.”(Steinbeck 1) This paints an image as to how the Dust Bowl has caused the land to become infertile and dry, making it unfit for any crops to grow in. Steinbeck uses this to show the farmers’ dependence on the land, as it illustrates how something that harms the land also harms the farmers. However, more importantly, Steinbeck also portrays the land as a major part of the farmers’ identities. This is seen by how a farmer states, “We measured it and broke it up. We were born on it, and we got …show more content…
The land had been passed down for many generations, and peoples’ livelihoods were attached to the land. It had been lovingly worked for many decades, and it has provided for the families which lived upon the land. It is a significant part of the people who work there, and they each depend on each other to thrive. However, despite the significance of the land to the farmers, it was taken away by huge banks, raising the main problem with which the people in Grapes of Wrath had to overcome. Because these banks ruthlessly took away and demolished all of the land and the crops which grew on it, which was their main source of income, people were forced to migrate across the United States. Steinbeck shows how these long and arduous migrations were caused by the banks, as the banks’ need for constant profit caused the suffering of thousands of families. Indirectly, Steinbeck uses this to show how capitalism as a system still has many flaws, which is illustrated by how the banks were able to take back land that was essential for the people who used to live on