The Grapes of Wrath

lives, [...] the very things they hoped for in the new country” (Steinbeck 193). This observation shows the families bonding over their struggles; uniting under their shared trepidations of change. Fear is a powerful motivator throughout The Grapes of Wrath. It pushes hundreds of families from their homes and forces them to suffer at the hands of corporate businesses and landowners. These people, who struggle against common enemies, turn to each other in their times of need.…

they try to support their families in unfertile land. The anger these men must have felt as they watched their crops wither and die repeatedly, therefore losing any source of income their family could have made. Even the title The Grapes of Wrath implies the author’s own wrath at the situations of both the farmers and the environment. The farmers depend on the land for survival; unlike others they truly understand the importance of the environment for the livelihood. However, understanding the…

1889, widespread deforestation, and the Lakeview Gusher, a larger oil spill, for the top spot on the list of infamous environmental calamities. One listed candidate is the catastrophic Dust Bowl of the 1930s, as described in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. The Dust Bowl choked the lands, animals, and people of the American plains, dislocating tens of thousands of people and…

The Grapes of Wrath is a renowned American classic written by the author John Steinbeck, a man who lived during the time of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. The title was discovered by his wife, Carol, in a popular song called “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” by Julia Ward Howe. Encompassed by two major, reoccurring themes, the book depicts tales that demonstrate man-to-man brutality and the companionship of people during times of great struggle. He illustrates these intense topics with…

Mrs. Thomas-5 DC English October 23, 2015 The Grapes of Wrath: Through the Lens of Feminism Since the beginning of civilization women have lived their lives subjecting to males. They have been excluded, oppressed, and discriminated against. This patriarchy imposes women the tasks of satisfying their family, being housewives, and not participating in any decision-making due to the belief that women lack intelligence. During the 1930’s Dust Bowl, this patriarchal ideology was slightly…

John Steinbeck’s protagonist Tom Joad acts as a prime example of a flawed and naturally human character in The Grapes of Wrath. Throughout the novel, Tom faces massive character growth as he sheds his “carpe diem” lifestyle and takes on a concern for humanity. This change displays the growth in Tom’s leadership abilities and his ability to nurture the strength of his family. Tom’s actions and reactions throughout the course of the novel build off of one another, as he undergoes both a physical…

The novel The Grapes Of Wrath by John Steinbeck takes place during America’s great depression and follows Tom Joad and his family along with Reverend Jim Casy while they fight to survive after their farm is taken away from them by the landowners. Their crisis sends them west to California in search of jobs. They face many hardships along the way, including the loss a few family members. When they arrive in California, they discover that there are very few jobs and the few jobs that there are do…

Manself, and this one quality is man, distinctive in the universe” (151). Thickening the division between the wealthy and wrathful, the Great depression stirred the cauldron of anger. Written to encompass the infuriation of the impoverished, the Grapes of Wrath visualizes the cruel consequences of selfishness, greed, and the inhumane treatment of the refugees. Steinbeck successfully creates his argument for the replacement of the capitalist system by highlighting the corrupt motivation of…

The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck is a historical milestone and a literary American masterpiece that continues to enlighten modern society. The book was set during the great depression which was right after and right before wars that shocked the world. During this time period economic and social systems were drastically dividing the world into camps of Communism, Capitalism, Totalitarianism and even Anarchy. These systems created fear for the alien economic and social plans because…

Ulysses S. Grant once said, “Hold fast to the Bible. To the influence of this Book we are indebted for all the progress made in true civilization and to this we must look as our guide in the future.” In his novel, The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck uses the universality of the Bible to make the account of the migrant’s plight applicable and understandable to all readers. By using Biblical references, Steinbeck is able to put the major themes and motifs of his novel into a framework to which all…