Grapes of Wrath Connection Paper, Kevin Dong, 08/25/17
The idea of giants crushing the laborers has been around for many centuries. These “laborers” have been taught to comply with these “Giants” for their own good in which gives them nearly free reign. These “Giants” can sometimes become so massive and influential they are essentially the largest influencer of social structures that are set in place. In “Ella May Wiggins and The Mill Mother’s Lament” the article reveals a mother of 5 children who needs to work in a factory job, pulling in barely $9 a week to raise her children. She comes to discover that by collectively organizing the workers at the plant would be able to sue for better wages and conditions. She proceeds to create songs …show more content…
This is illustrated in a passage where Ma Joad goes to the Hooper Farm store to purchase some staples for the family. The store on the farm property is under ownership of Hooper Ranches, Incorporated. The store owner proceeds to offer Ma overpriced goods that she knows is much cheaper in town. Ma is forced to purchase these good because of the family's inability to afford gasoline to reach the town. In many mill towns in the US workers similarly face stores that attempt to take advantage of their inability to access the wider market. They raise prices on goods that can similarly be purchased at a much lower rate outside of the mill. With the families already low wage and the corporations determined to make a profit in every aspect of the community, families can hardly be expected to survive under these tough conditions. Another example of companies seeking to take advantage of workers is when the Hooper Farm owners decided to suddenly drop their wages from 5 cents a box to 2.5 cents per box. This would cut the workers wages in half and force them to either get by on barely a wage or seek another job. The Joads recognize this and dejectedly decide to leave the farm after barely being here for a day. In the article it refers to Ella May earning only $9 a week to feed her family. This wage is …show more content…
In the Grapes of Wrath Jim Casy is released from prison and recognises the migrant workers plight and found a way to solve their issues with the greedy corporations. His scheme was to get all the workers back at the farm currently earning a good wage to strike for the good of the collective. If the plan would succeed, everyone who went on strike would get better wages and could argue for better conditions. Sadly, this plan would not come to fruition when the group is discovered by the guards railing against the strike. Casy proceeds to be struck in the head with a pick handle and quickly succumbs to death/ Likewise, Ella may similarly organized a Union, called for a strike, and was gunned down after the company’s owners deemed her a threat to their profits. Afterwards, the men who were suspected to be the murderers of Ella May were indicted even after 50 witnesses came forward. In each of these cases the companies are able to dispense “justice” and not be tried or contested for what they carried out. This free reign of these companies is definitely a threat to the well being of many a worker who decides to organize for the betterment of the collective interest. These companies are able to operate with near impunity through their massive political and economical
The idea of giants crushing the laborers has been around for many centuries. These “laborers” have been taught to comply with these “Giants” for their own good in which gives them nearly free reign. These “Giants” can sometimes become so massive and influential they are essentially the largest influencer of social structures that are set in place. In “Ella May Wiggins and The Mill Mother’s Lament” the article reveals a mother of 5 children who needs to work in a factory job, pulling in barely $9 a week to raise her children. She comes to discover that by collectively organizing the workers at the plant would be able to sue for better wages and conditions. She proceeds to create songs …show more content…
This is illustrated in a passage where Ma Joad goes to the Hooper Farm store to purchase some staples for the family. The store on the farm property is under ownership of Hooper Ranches, Incorporated. The store owner proceeds to offer Ma overpriced goods that she knows is much cheaper in town. Ma is forced to purchase these good because of the family's inability to afford gasoline to reach the town. In many mill towns in the US workers similarly face stores that attempt to take advantage of their inability to access the wider market. They raise prices on goods that can similarly be purchased at a much lower rate outside of the mill. With the families already low wage and the corporations determined to make a profit in every aspect of the community, families can hardly be expected to survive under these tough conditions. Another example of companies seeking to take advantage of workers is when the Hooper Farm owners decided to suddenly drop their wages from 5 cents a box to 2.5 cents per box. This would cut the workers wages in half and force them to either get by on barely a wage or seek another job. The Joads recognize this and dejectedly decide to leave the farm after barely being here for a day. In the article it refers to Ella May earning only $9 a week to feed her family. This wage is …show more content…
In the Grapes of Wrath Jim Casy is released from prison and recognises the migrant workers plight and found a way to solve their issues with the greedy corporations. His scheme was to get all the workers back at the farm currently earning a good wage to strike for the good of the collective. If the plan would succeed, everyone who went on strike would get better wages and could argue for better conditions. Sadly, this plan would not come to fruition when the group is discovered by the guards railing against the strike. Casy proceeds to be struck in the head with a pick handle and quickly succumbs to death/ Likewise, Ella may similarly organized a Union, called for a strike, and was gunned down after the company’s owners deemed her a threat to their profits. Afterwards, the men who were suspected to be the murderers of Ella May were indicted even after 50 witnesses came forward. In each of these cases the companies are able to dispense “justice” and not be tried or contested for what they carried out. This free reign of these companies is definitely a threat to the well being of many a worker who decides to organize for the betterment of the collective interest. These companies are able to operate with near impunity through their massive political and economical