In his novel, The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck illustrates the struggle between the working class and the upper class through the discrimination between the migrants and the landowners. Landowners maintain control through violence; they treat migrant workers without humanity. Migrant families, often referred as “Okies,” are starving, while food is wasted by the wealthy. In the novel, many migrants lose their homes, jobs and life savings, forcing them to move and leave behind their land in hopes of finding a more prosperous place to live. Steinbeck shows the determination of the human spirit through his characters’ resilience in tough circumstances: through Tom Joad’s courageous perseverance in helping his family, through Muley Grave’s stubborn loyalty to his land, and through Ma Joad’s strength to take up the position as head of the family.
In the novel, Steinbeck shows the unfair working situations that migrants face when …show more content…
As he said in the movie Grapes of Wrath (1940) “There ain 't nobody gonna push me of my land! My grandpa took up this land 70 years ago, my pa was born here, we were all born on it. And some of of us was killed on it! ...and some of us died on it. That 's what make it our 'n, bein ' born on it,...and workin ' on it,...and and dying ' on it! And not no piece of paper with the writin ' on it!“ shows how much dedication Muley has toward his land. Even as his family and friends move west he is too proud and determined, choosing to stay. Though he misses his family, he promised himself he would never move west. He learns to live of the land finding food as he wanders. The landowners are cruel and harsh kicking him off his land, forcing him to hide from them. He sleeps in tough areas, caves, abandoned homes and hidden places. Muley often enjoys making the lives of rich landowners