The Grapes Of Wrath American Dream Analysis

Within the Great Depression, farming and agriculture in the South came to a standstill at the hands of the Dust Bowl. Land that was too dry and overused was made to dust that ravaged Southern sharecroppers, leaving them with nothing. This lead to families moving west in search of jobs and houses. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck narrates the reality that many Americans face during the Dust Bowl. The American Dream is a prevalent goal for many American families suffering from the Dust Bowl, allowing for families to be exploited by society. With millions of families moving west in hopes of achieving a perfect family, this dream was the only thing families had to survive. Every American dreams that one day they will own a piece of land or a house in their life, a goal they work endlessly for. In the beginning of The Grapes of Wrath Muley describes to Tom how the land is deserted because of the banks reclaiming it. Muley recites how the caterpillar …show more content…
Buell summarizes The Grapes of Wrath, stating, "the Joads’ ordeal is made uniquely poignant as well as representative of the larger cohort of the …show more content…
The condition that the migrant workers face within The Grapes of Wrath accurately reflects the conditions of the migration due to the Dust Bowl. The rejection of migrants by California residents creates a hostile environment, especially in the influx of southern sharecroppers moving west in search for high-paying labor. When the Joads arrive in California however, they are met with low-wage jobs picking peaches for a dollar a day. As the injustice continues, Casey fights the businesses that pay indecent wages; this in return causes wages to depreciate and pass the jobs off to families even more desperate. Steinbeck documents slyness of the handbills, "The great