The Grapes of Wrath
...car dealership and how they take advantage of their need for these cars or chapter twenty five which talks about the rotting fruits and how the hungry migrants weren’t allowed to eat them or chapter nine where they describe how the families had to sell their belongings or burn it all. These chapters are interlocked and blended very well with the story of the Joads journey. These chapters also anticipate things to come to the Joad family. Like when they arrive to Hooverville one had already read a description of it in the previous chapter. Another thing that one might notice is the very detailed manner in which the story is told. At first it seems to be a little to much and unnecessary but as one reads on one will notice that not only does it bring the reader in to the story and get them more involved but it brings much realism to the story. The use of realism in the book also gets the reader completely involved in the story. When each character is introduced they are described so well and in such a detailed manner that one can imagine exactly what they where like. One gets acquainted with the surrounding and gets attached to the characters. And just using the exact way these people spoke with all the misuses of the language make it more real. The things that happened like Tom killing two men, Rose of Sharon’s husband leaving and then her baby being stillborn, and the way they migrants were treated makes for a compelling narrative. In general the details and realism makes the story much more powerful, strong and effective. The themes that appear in the book are many and broad so only some will be discussed. Some of the themes in this book include the Industrial Revolution, Materialism, Capitalism, redefinition of the American Dream, migration, division of classes, determination, communalism, family values, death, greed, hope, morality, religiosity and many more can be threaded out. With the Industrial Revolution came new technologies that facilitated mass production and a sense of materialism was born within individuals. In chapter five we can see the first signs of the industrial revolution when Steinbeck describes the arrival of the tractors saying how a tractor can take the place of a dozen families. In chapter twenty seven it is hinted on how the introduction of the cotton-picking machine was unavoidable. Chapter nineteen also alludes to the Industrial Revolution: “The tractors which throw men out of work, the belt lines which carry loads, the machines which produce, all were increased…” (p. 325). One can find many instances of the Industrial Revolution affecting the families of the time throughout the book, but one might find especially interesting how the sense of materialism even creeps up to the poorest of individuals like Uncle John. “ I wanta buy stuff. Stuff I don’t need.” (p. 560). There’s even an entire chapter (Seven) dedicated to car dealerships and the selling of cars. Migration is the big or central theme that can be seen throughout the entire book starting with the Joads leaving their farm and heading west and all the other families that are faced with the same circumstances. One can begin to see very clearly how this migration was taking place in chapter twelve when there is a description of Highway 66 which was the main road used by the fleeting families. Human organization, communalism or community, and unity are another set of significant themes that can be seen thought the stories. Beginning with the Joad family and Ma always wanting to keep the family together no matter what even though at the end it didn’t go exactly her way. Another place we see unity and communalism is when the family arrives at the government camp in chapter twenty two and how everyone helps each other and they are like their own little community with their own rules and comities which they organize themselves. There is a distinct redefinition of gender roles in the book with ...