Unity In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath

Prior to reading John Steinbeck’s, The Grapes of Wrath, the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s was nothing of importance to me, archived as another historical event that had occurred decades before my existence. I trudged through the first couple chapters of the book constantly having the urge to put it down, tired of the overwhelming details of Oklahoma’s corn that “fought the wind with its weakened leaves” (Steinbeck 2) and Tom Joad’s journey back home after four years in prison. The point where I met each member of the Joad family was where I began to give the book my full attention.
The way Steinbeck introduces the characters with the descriptive power he demonstrates in the novel, made it easier for me to become more emotionally involved with each individual: Grampa’s indifference towards buttoning his clothes correctly, Noah’s “calm and puzzled” (Steinbeck 78) face, and Ruthie and Winfield, “grime-faced and wild” (Steinbeck 95). These kinds of qualities play a major role in determining the outcomes of events that occur throughout the book. For instance, Casey’s open-mindedness and selflessness is what gets him killed. During his time in jail, Casey realizes the power that a union possesses: “‘One fella started yellin’, ‘an nothin’ …show more content…
Rose of Sharon uses her breast milk to save a starving man, which reinforced the idea of the power of unity: “She looked up and across the barn, and her lips came together and smiled mysteriously” (Steinbeck 455). This concept reminded me of a particular line from William Wordsworth’s poem, “My Heart Leaps Up When I Behold”: “The Child is the father of the Man” (7). The man who drinks from Rose of Sharon’s breast seems to have exchanged role with his son who begs for his father’s survival--what a father would do for his child: “Suddenly the boy cried, ‘He’s dyin’, I tell you! He’s starvin’ to death, I tell you” (Steinbeck