Dust Bowl In The Grapes Of Wrath

The Dust of Wrath
Although many believe that the background of America’s westward expansion during the nineteenth century is one drenched in riches and prosperity for the country and her citizens, the reality is that this movement more than anything was the destruction of their hopes and dreams of growth as illustrated in John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath.” In this novel the author creates sympathy for all those affected by the Dust Bowl by depicting the story of the Joads as they face the ultimatum of leaving their beloved but worn down home or traveling westward and running in the direction of gold like many other Americans during this time, not knowing the hardships that await them during their journey and upon arrival illustrating …show more content…
The author appealed to the readers’ emotions by describing the struggles of the movements of the victims of the Dust Bowl on their journey to California and when they couldn’t find work after the transition and had nothing to return to after the destructive storms had taken wrath on their homes. Each person had to face many hardships when their families traveled westward and did not expect so much grief. Leaving their beloved and cherished items, they had no choice but to move. It was a forced action upon them with no other decision. Steinbeck made it completely clear that nobody ever really got what they wanted and life was not an easy task back then. Everything was much more complicated and not many people got to have their own opinions. Steinbeck’s vivid images of the struggle of the Joads throughout the novel, from the deaths of the loved ones to their falling once they reached the supposed promise land sets a sympathetic tone for the novel and conveys the idea that “that if one human suffers, we all suffer.” (Hacht) Americans understand the concept and Steinbeck reaches his goal of lending a sympathetic land, figuratively speaking, to the victims of the Dust Bowl through this