Homelessness In The Grapes Of Wrath

Homelessness has been an issue for Americans since the foundation of our country. Although the issues faced by those without a home have changed, many characteristics have remained constant over the years. For example, shantytowns have played a large role in American homelessness from the Dust Bowl to modern day. John Steinbeck’s groundbreaking novel The Grapes of Wrath shows the life of migrant workers in the 1930’s. In the book, the Joad family crosses the country to find work as farmhands when they are evicted from their Oklahoma farm. The Joads arrive in California to discover a land of unemployment and starvation. With no home to return to, the Joads move into a Hooverville where they continue to look for work. Hooverville teaches the small town farming family to be cunning, independent, and persistent. Despite the ensuing chaos and brutality, the family remains vigilant and works towards a future in California. In the article “Cities Deal With a Surge In Shantytowns” by The New York Times, the issue of modern day shantytowns is exhibited through narrations of the hardships faced by residents of these camps and the desire for a better life. Many homeless people in populous yet impoverished cities such as Fresno, Nashville, and Los Angeles have set up communities of tents to serve as …show more content…
The prejudices that exist against indigent residents of both tent cities in modern day society and Hoovervilles in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath put the residents at a disadvantage in their search for work, their exposure to violence, and their desire for a