Syntax In The Grapes Of Wrath

In chapter 11 of John Steinbeck’s novel, “The Grapes of Wrath”, there are many different things going on that may seem pointless and/or out of place. However, when looking closer and digging a little deeper into the text, you will find that much more of this specific literature’s meaning will be revealed. Steinbeck’s use of syntax in certain places and parallelism helps to explain to the audience the density of the feelings the farmers had when they had to leave their homes and watch them rot and decay over time during the Dust Bowl period. Steinbeck shows how bad it was, and how much the houses wore out when they were left vacant and empty. Syntax played a big part in Steinbeck’s writing of this chapter. He uses syntax to draw the reader’s attention to a specific though, idea, or emotion. For example, when Steinbeck describes how the harsh winds that “pried into the hole, where the shingle had been, lifted off three, and the next, a dozen”(Steinbeck), he is brining the attention of the reader to the fact that there were multiple winds that each took more and more …show more content…
They do not, however, consider the fact that they maybe just do not understand the complexity of this authors writing. Steinbeck tactics are a bit hard to find, they go “under the radar” some would say. Once you pick up on this though, it becomes clearer and easier to pick up on.
When Steinbeck incorporates specific elements such as syntax and parallelism, which are mentioned above, or even repetition, he instills certain feelings and moods in his audience. These elements help him accomplish this by making it easier for a reader’s awareness to be drawn toward the most important parts of the chapter. Doing all of this helps the audience to understand and feel sorry for the dust bowl