The Grapes of Wrath
...is building up in them; and these crops, or grapes, are the prime source of their anger and hence the title The Grapes of Wrath. While Steinbeck is telling the tale of one certain period of time in our history, he does so in two different manners. There are two styles of chapters: regular and intercalary. In regular chapters, he describes the plight of the Joad family themselves, so that you are brought closer to one of the “Okies” on a more personal note and allow you to see what hardships an individual family goes through. But, then there are also intercalary chapters which serve as a guide to the reader in more than one way. These chapters give an overall view of the situation that was going on in America during this time from the viewpoint of the migrants, but they also hint at the specific situations that the Joad family themselves would be in. The intercalary chapters serve as a break in the action and provide background information for readers to see that what the Joads were experiencing was very common for the people in that era. Steinbeck uses a very simple style of writing throughout the book to keep the story as realistic as possible. He uses the actual dialect of Okies to enthrall the reader more into the novel and to bring them to a more personal level with the characters in the novel. ‘“Wisht I wouldn’t think of how it is home,” said Ma. “It ain’t our home no more. Wish I’d forget it.”’(415) The direct dialect of the Okies goes a long way into making the novel as realistic as possible to the reader. In the intercalary chapters, he uses a very poetic style of writing that uses many symbols and personifications. “A little bit ahead he saw the high-domed shell of a land turtle, crawling slowly along through the dust, its legs working stiffly and jerkily.” (23) This land turtle is actually indicative of the Joad family themselves and the trip that the turtle makes across the road is representative of the Joads migrating across the United States. This novel is a protest against the controlling owners and money-hungry banks. Steinbeck strongly opposes the exploitation of the migrant workers by the plantation owners. Steinbeck points out the vast differences between the rich and the poor in this novel and, in doing so, brings out certain traits that have been labeled as communistic. However, Steinbeck stresses that this is transcendentalism and not communism, but he does not dwell too deeply into it because this is still a novel about the plight of the migrant workers from the Midwest to California. Steinbeck also stresses that humans must adapt to the ever-changing conditions around them in order to survive, which can obviously be seen as the whole migration itself is representative of that. We see that the ones who were not able to change, such as Granma and Granpa, were also the ones who did not survive. This brings in a certain aspect of Social Darwinism and a “survival of the fittest” theme into the novel. There is also a theme on the conflicting view of the land. The migrant workers see the land as their way of life and a vital part of who they are. The “monstrous” banks and owners who are taking the land see it as an investment to yield profit. Steinbeck depicts that the individual is increasingly at the mercy of the vast anonymous forces of capitalism, which cannot be identified because they are faceless, mindless, and heartless. There are an enormous amount of symbols in this novel. The turtle in chapter 3 walking across the road is representative of the Joads themselves making the trip across the United States to the “promised land”, California. They make this journey on Route 66 which is also known as the “Road of Flight.” It is called the Road of Flight because the road serves as a route for people to escape from their despair and misery in the Midwest and allows them a new beginning and fresh start in California. The banks are described as ferocious and heartless monsters that devour money and land, and controlling and regulating peoples’ lives. There is also a strong biblical reference in this novel. Jim Casey, the preacher, has the same initials as Jesus Christ. The drought is similar to the plague that freed the Israelites, then they wandered the desert for 40 years which is reminiscent of the journey to California, and finally they reached the Promised Land, California. Water is also an interesting symbol in this story. In the beginning of the novel where the emphasis is placed on the drought, the lack of water proves to be destructive and detrimental. However at the end of the novel where the concern is now about the flood, too much water proves to be destructive. Also another thing that proves to be destructive in a conflicting manner is labor. At the start of the novel, there is not enough labor in the Midwest and the Joads are forced to move to California because of it. However in California there is a huge supply of workers, and therefore there is small demand for them, and that too proves to be destructive for them because it’s difficult to get a job. There are many vital characters that contribute to this novel. Tom Joad, the main protagonist of the novel, makes his first appearance in the novel after serving time in jail. He follows up on the ideas that are presented to him by Jim Casey and they serve as a guide to him and his development. Jim Casey, originally a preacher, also sets out to California with the Joads. However, he has given up his devotion and belief in god and exchanged it for a belief in people. He is killed during a fight with the police officers. Pa is the father of Tom Joad and is forced to provide a new style of life for his family. He loses his identity when his life as a farmer is disrupted, and he cannot adjust to the new circumstances which face him. Ma acts as a binding force for the family and keeps a strong face and unites the family even through the deaths of Granpa and Granma. Granpa is the original settler of the farm, and while he talks about moving to California, when t...