Imbalance In John Steinbeck's Grapes Of Wrath

The American dream was a subject often written about by the authors of the 20th century, as it had become nothing more than a dream to many who struggled greatly during the Great Depression. American author John Steinbeck, who grew up in modest means and was a blue-collar worker for much of his life, even swayed towards socialist ideals which he commented upon heavily in many of his novels. Steinbeck used many of his pieces to bring his observations of social and economic injustice to the eye of his readers, it wasn’t uncommon for him to make remarks regarding the idea of social power imbalance, as well as financial imbalance. Often time, many of his books took on a melancholy tone to match what his desired audience felt during their struggle to simply live. Themes of imbalance within Steinbeck’s books, were also paired with violence and blood, many of his books ended in the death of a character, usually by extreme means. Throughout Grapes of Wrath, for example, Steinbeck brings animals into play to establish how the rich dehumanize those they deem lesser than them …show more content…
The effects of this constant struggle for the working class of farmers who felt the burden most heavily, would cause many to migrate west to California where there was promise of work. It was here the Steinbeck drew his inspiration for the Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck had been commissioned by The San Francisco News to write about California migrant worker camps, which led to Steinbeck traveling with a family that would later help create the base of the novel. It would be impossible to see who we as the reader were supposed to sympathize with, especially with this background in mind. We watch the fictional family of the Joads endure constant heartache, loss, and