Struggle for Survival in the Grapes of Wrath - 2273 Words

Struggle for Survival in The Grapes of Wrath The 1930s were a time of hardship for many across the United States. Not only was the Great Depression making it difficult for families to eat every day, but the Dust Bowl swept through the plains states making it nearly impossible to farm the land in which they relied. John Steinbeck saw how the Dust Bowl affected farmers, primarily the tenant farmers, and journeyed to California after droves of families. These families were dispossessed from the farms they had worked for years, if not generations (Mills 388). Steinbeck was guided by Tom Collins, the real-life model for the Weedpatch camp’s manager Jim Rawley, through one of the federal migrant worker camps. He was able to see for himself,†¦show more content†¦They had nothing. And the laboring people hated Okies because a hungry man must work, and if he must work, if he has to work, the wage payer automatically gives him less for his work; and then no one can get more. (233) The hatred felt by the Californians toward the Okies is exemplified by the law enforcement’s eagerness to â€Å"take in† anyone they feel shows the tiniest signs of trouble. For instance, a deputy makes up a reason to take in Floyd Knowles, from the Joad’s first Hooverville, because he questions a man offering work on how many men he needs and how much the pay is (Steinbeck 263). Shortly after the Joads leave the first Hooverville, they encounter a group of armed men along the road who insist that they â€Å"ain’t gonna have no goddamn Okies in this town [sic]† and make them turn their truck around (Steinbeck 279). Before the Joads are introduced, the plight of another being is highlighted. In Chapter 3, Steinbeck introduces the turtle on the side of the road struggling through obstacles. The turtle itself is a symbol of the Joad family and other migrant workers, while its journey is an allegory of the struggles and obstacles they will face alo ng the way. The turtle comes upon an embankment along the highway and stops to size up the wall in front of it (Steinbeck 14). At several points in the novel, the men face decisions and hunker down together on their hams to discuss theirShow MoreRelatedThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck905 Words   |  4 Pagessituations that the Joad family encountered in the film â€Å"The Grapes of Wrath†. The â€Å"Grapes of Wrath† was directed by John Ford in 1940. This film is also based on a famous novel by John Steinbeck. This film was made to give the viewers an idea of how the Oklahoma Dust Bowl and the Great Depression played a significant role in families economically. In my opinion, the theme of â€Å"The Grapes of Wrath† was the struggle of human dignity. The struggle of human dignity â€Å"is best shown when the central charactersRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Ford923 Words   |  4 PagesThe Grapes of Wrath John Ford’s film The Grapes of Wrath (1940) is set in black-and-white during the Great Depression. It tells the story of a family being expelled from their home in Oklahoma; Not only by the bank and big business but by nature itself. The family being forced off their land causing them to be dependent on each other in order to survive supports the theme of familial survival and human dignity. The essential aspects of The Grapes of Wrath are family and the fight to survive whileRead MoreScott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby and John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath1720 Words   |  7 PagesScott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby and John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath In the novels The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, the authors present similar ideas, but use different methods to portray them. Similarities in themes can be made between the two texts; these include the pursuit of the American Dream and the use and misuse of wealth. Other themes are also central to each novel, the strength in unity and the influenceRead MoreBiblical Allusions In The Grapes Of Wrath1717 Words   |  7 Pagesnovel, The Grapes of Wrath, is a story that describes the journey of the Joad family through the brutal migration from Oklahoma s destroying Dust Bowl to California corrupt promised land. Through the depiction of events and portrayal of characters, the bible takes part in the novel as one whole allusion. The story of struggle for survival in the fallen state of Oklahoma and in the â€Å"promised land† of California, reveals the same ideas shown as we explore in the bible. In The Grapes of Wrath, authorRead MoreThe Use of Symbolism in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck1052 Words   |  5 PagesThe Use of Symbolism in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck The Grapes of Wrath is a novel by John Steinbeck that in my opinion illustrates the terrible conditions under which the migratory farm families of America during the 1930s were forced to live under. This novel in a very descriptive and emotional way tells of one familys migration west to California from Oklahoma (the Joad family) through the great economic depression of the 1930s. The story revolves around the family having toRead MoreEssay about The Dust Bowl in John Steinbeck ´s The Grapes of Wrath845 Words   |  4 PagesJohn Steinbeck’s acclaimed novel, The Grapes of Wrath, embodies his generation’s horrific tragedy. John Steinbeck’s writing gives insight on the devastating effects of the Dust Bowl on thousands of families and those who helped them. While Steinbecks novel focuses on the Joads family journey, he also includes writing of the general struggle of many families at the time. In John Steinbecks novel, The Grapes of Wrath, the usage of the term à ¢â‚¬Å"Okies† degrades the workers, while the personificationRead MoreRealism and Regionalism: The Fine Wine Amongst a Vicious Vineyard in John Steinbecks Grapes of Wrath1124 Words   |  4 Pages Realism and Regionalism: The Fine Wine Amongst a Vicious Vineyard In John Steinbeck’s tragic, mangled novel, The Grapes of Wrath, the reader is shipped off into the heart of the great Dust Bowl in the American Midwest in the peak of American hardship. Through his use of realism in the era of the modern age, Steinbeck reveals the hardships that were faced by common American citizens during the Great Depression, and utilizes the Joad family in an effort to depict the lives of the farmersRead MoreDignity and Transformation in the Face of Tragedy in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck777 Words   |  4 Pageshopeful and stirring themes placed against a backdrop of terror and tragedy. The â€Å"Grapes of Wrath†, written by John Steinbeck in 1939, is a gritty and realistic picture of life for migrant families in California during the Great Depression in the face of a drought, all struggling to build lives for themselves and maintain their dignity amongst the rampant capitalist self-interest of landowners. â€Å"The Grapes of Wrath† is both a novel both a naturalistic epic and a social commentary. Steinbeck tacklesRead MoreThe Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Essay697 Words   |  3 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath is the story of the experiences of the Joad family from the time of their eviction from a farm near Sallisaw, Oklahoma to their first winter in California. The Joad family’s story illustrates the hardship and oppression suffered by migrant laborers during the Great Depression. The novel begins with the description of the conditions in Dust Bowl Oklahoma that ruined the crops and instigated massive foreclosures on farmlandRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Grapes Of Wrath 904 Words   |  4 Pages The majority of people in the United States are lucky enough to have a place they can return to every night and call their home. Unfortunately, for the Joad and Walls families, this is not the case. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, tells the story of the Joads, a poor family of tenant farmers forced off their farm in Oklahoma due a bank foreclosure. Because of the circumstances they suffered, including being trapped in the Dust Bowl and economic hardship, the Joads set out for California