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109 Grapes of Wrath Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is a classic novel that explores the struggles of migrant workers during the Great Depression. If you're looking for essay topics to delve deeper into the themes and characters of this novel, look no further. Here are 109 Grapes of Wrath essay topic ideas and examples to inspire your writing:

• Analyze the role of family in The Grapes of Wrath.
• Explore the theme of social injustice in the novel.
• Discuss the symbolism of the title "The Grapes of Wrath."
• Compare and contrast the characters of Tom Joad and Ma Joad.
• Examine the significance of the turtle in Chapter 3.
• Discuss the portrayal of women in the novel.
• Analyze the role of religion in The Grapes of Wrath.
• Explore the theme of hope in the face of adversity.
• Discuss the representation of the American Dream in the novel.
• Examine the impact of capitalism on the characters in the novel.
• Analyze the role of the government in the novel.
• Discuss the theme of unity and solidarity among the migrant workers.
• Explore the symbolism of the Hooverville camps.
• Compare and contrast the characters of Jim Casy and Tom Joad.
• Discuss the theme of survival in the novel.
• Analyze the symbolism of the dust storms.
• Explore the theme of sacrifice in The Grapes of Wrath.
• Discuss the portrayal of race and ethnicity in the novel.
• Analyze the role of education in the novel.
• Examine the theme of power and authority in The Grapes of Wrath.
• Discuss the role of nature in the novel.
• Analyze the symbolism of the Joad family's journey.
• Explore the theme of community in the novel.
• Discuss the portrayal of women's roles in the 1930s.
• Examine the theme of human dignity in the face of poverty.
• Analyze the symbolism of the California landscape.
• Explore the theme of exploitation in the novel.
• Discuss the impact of technology on the characters in the novel.
• Analyze the theme of resilience in The Grapes of Wrath.
• Discuss the portrayal of masculinity in the novel.
• Analyze the symbolism of the red color throughout the novel.
• Explore the theme of survival instincts in the characters.
• Discuss the impact of industrialization on the characters in the novel.
• Analyze the symbolism of the Joad family's car.
• Explore the theme of displacement in the novel.
• Discuss the portrayal of labor unions in the novel.
• Analyze the symbolism of the road in the novel.
• Explore the theme of desperation in The Grapes of Wrath.
• Discuss the role of music in the novel.
• Analyze the symbolism of the grapes in the novel.
• Explore the theme of community organizing in the novel.
• Discuss the impact of the media on the characters in the novel.
• Analyze the symbolism of the flood in the novel.
• Explore the theme of environmental degradation in The Grapes of Wrath.
• Discuss the portrayal of migrant workers in the novel.
• Analyze the symbolism of the migrant camps.
• Explore the theme of exploitation of migrant workers.
• Discuss the impact of consumerism on the characters in the novel.
• Analyze the symbolism of the oak tree in Chapter 19.
• Explore the theme of individualism versus collectivism in the novel.
• Discuss the role of government intervention in the novel.
• Analyze the symbolism of the land in the novel.
• Explore the theme of resistance and rebellion in The Grapes of Wrath.
• Discuss the portrayal of poverty in the novel.
• Analyze the symbolism of the number 66 throughout the novel.
• Explore the theme of solidarity among the migrant workers.
• Discuss the impact of social class on the characters in the novel.
• Analyze the symbolism of the rain at the end of the novel.
• Explore the theme of redemption in The Grapes of Wrath.
• Discuss the portrayal of religion in the novel.
• Analyze the symbolism of the handbills in the novel.
• Explore the theme of forgiveness in the novel.
• Discuss the impact of the Great Depression on the characters in the novel.
• Analyze the symbolism of the roadside camps.
• Explore the theme of resistance to oppression in The Grapes of Wrath.
• Discuss the portrayal of the American Dream in the novel.
• Analyze the symbolism of the tractors in the novel.
• Discuss the impact of consumer culture on the characters in the novel.
• Analyze the symbolism of the migrant worker camps. 71

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Theme Analysis: The Grapes of Wrath Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

The Grapes of Wrath is a perfect example of a political novel that narrates the experience of the Joad family after being evicted from their farm in Oklahoma and their discouraging journey to California.

In the first few chapters, the author gives the reader an opportunity to participate in the story of the Joads by exploring their experience in their traditional life and their new found life, but in the last sixteen chapters; the author takes a broader look at the experience of displaced migrants in America as a whole. As a result, the novel portrays the issue of land ownership in California and America at large, the conflicts between the Haves and the Have-nots, people’s reactions to injustices, and the strength of a woman (Steinbeck ix).

It also delves into the impact of the Great Depression and the nature of parity and fairness in a larger context regarding America. Thus, this essay presents an in-depth analysis of The Grapes of Wrath, which reveals that the novel develops upon a wide range of themes including hope, class conflict, fanaticism, and commitment as described in the preceding discussions.

The theme of hope develops through the character of Ma Joad who struggles to keep her family together despite that the Joads have encountered many deaths, hardships, and deprivations. In fact, at the end of the narrative, the author describes the family as barely surviving (Steinbeck 455).

Conversely, the Joads display an optimistic mood because as the family expands, the family members get to recognize the need to identify with the group, and thus, they begin to realize the importance of group consciousness. Hope is also derived from the family’s long and challenging journey, whose experience enlightens some family members such as Ma Joad, Pa Joad, Tom, Jim Casy, John, and Rose of Sharon.

Actually, the family members are optimistic that the end of their long journey will come after realizing the American dream (Steinbeck 65). As a result, the desire to have a good life coupled with other motives encourages some family members to fight harder as opposed to those who are unable to see the end result of the journey including Al, Connie, and Noah.

Moreover, the family is determined to experience a different way of life, which gives them a broader perceptive of the world compared to their traditional life. In the end, it is obvious that the family has succeeded in terms of understanding and exploring life-time experiences in the face of different challenges.

Another major theme in The Grapes of Wrath entails class conflict. A conflict exists between the poor migrants, native Californians, and the powerful business people (Steinbeck 23). This conflict presents a clear picture of the characteristics of economic injustices in America during that time.

From a social perspective, the novel describes the economic disasters that arise after the migrants are forced to forgo their agricultural activities not only because of the natural disasters, but also because of the establishment of larger farms by the landowners, business people, and the banks.

Actually, at the beginning, the author notes that the land owners and banks evicted the tenants from the farms thereby making them to move to California in large numbers (Steinbeck 13). Thus, it is apparent that the business people and landowners are insecure in some way because they understand that the presence of migrants in their farms is a threat to their business and financial establishments.

Here, the migrants symbolize increased government interference, labor unions activism, and increased taxes on privately held property. This form of class conflict is the cause of the violence observed between the two groups and even the torching of government camps by state residents in California who are of the idea that the presence of migrants in their land is a threat to their financial interests (Steinbeck 305).

Moreover, class conflict can also occur when hardships, materialistic interests, and problems within the family are personalized. For instance, within the Joad family, Rose of Sharon is obsessed with her pregnancy and the future dreams instead of helping in the journey while her husband, Connie is still angry that they left Oklahoma, and thus he prefers to disappear rather than help in the family hardships (Steinbeck 45).

Fanaticism is also a major theme developed in The Grapes of Wrath. From both the religious and the social perspectives, it is obvious that fanaticism should be condemned because it is a trick used by a certain class of people to deny life, happiness, and advance economic deprivation in the society.

For instance, the former preacher, Jim Casy tells Tom that religion denies different aspects of life such as sexuality. Furthermore, in the camp, a fanatic religious woman claims that dancing is sinful, and thus, poor people should not dance but instead they should wail and moan because they are sinners (Steinbeck 55). On the other hand, religious fanatics claim that religion allows for economic classes within the society including the poor class.

Additionally, the experience of the Joads and their American counterparts shows that social fanaticism and prejudice causes fear and lack of faith among the migrants. As a result, this phenomenon led to instances of violence between the migrants and the native Californians, homelessness, starvation, and malnutrition among other shameful events. Therefore, it is certain that fanaticism, be it religious or social, is not a good thing after all.

Lastly, the novel develops on the theme of commitment in an extensive manner. Here, we note that the members of the Joad family were committed to certain goals and values, which kept them going and finally led to their success.

For instance, Tom and Jim Casy were committed to making Christ-like sacrifices for the rest of the family. As a result, Jim decided to surrender to the authorities to replace Tom and Floyd in order to show his commitment to loving all. Additionally, Jim becomes a labor activist and he dies while fighting for the rights of laborers.

Conversely, despite that at the beginning of the Journey, Tom does not want to identify with the group, his experience and friendship with Jim makes him to realize the need to fight for social justice and the significance of group consciousness within the family and in the society (Steinbeck 445). Therefore, commitment is a virtue that should be emulated by each member of the society if at all collective tasks and goals are to be accomplished.

Steinbeck, John. The grapes of wrath . New York: Penguin Books, 2002. Print.

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IvyPanda. (2018, October 12). Theme Analysis: The Grapes of Wrath. https://ivypanda.com/essays/theme-analysis-the-grapes-of-wrath/

"Theme Analysis: The Grapes of Wrath." IvyPanda , 12 Oct. 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/theme-analysis-the-grapes-of-wrath/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'Theme Analysis: The Grapes of Wrath'. 12 October.

IvyPanda . 2018. "Theme Analysis: The Grapes of Wrath." October 12, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/theme-analysis-the-grapes-of-wrath/.

1. IvyPanda . "Theme Analysis: The Grapes of Wrath." October 12, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/theme-analysis-the-grapes-of-wrath/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Theme Analysis: The Grapes of Wrath." October 12, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/theme-analysis-the-grapes-of-wrath/.

The Grapes of Wrath

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A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-9

Chapters 10-13

Chapters 14-17

Chapters 18-21

Chapters 22-25

Chapters 26-30

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

How far is it possible for the migrants to “start over” in California given the loss of their homes?

“It is not the tractor, but the way the tractor is owned which hurts the tenant farmers.” What is the meaning of this quote?

Is it legitimate to kill in self-defense? Discuss this in connection with the characters of Tom and Casy.

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The Grapes of Wrath

John steinbeck, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

The Grapes of Wrath: Introduction

The grapes of wrath: plot summary, the grapes of wrath: detailed summary & analysis, the grapes of wrath: themes, the grapes of wrath: quotes, the grapes of wrath: characters, the grapes of wrath: symbols, the grapes of wrath: theme wheel, brief biography of john steinbeck.

Historical Context of The Grapes of Wrath

Other books related to the grapes of wrath.

• Full Title: The Grapes of Wrath
• When Written: 1939
• Where Written: Pacific Grove, California
• When Published: 1939
• Literary Period: American Realist
• Genre: Novel
• Setting: Oklahoma, California, the American Southwest
• Climax: Rose of Sharon’s breastfeeding of a starving man
• Antagonist: Industrial farms, banks
• Point of View: Third person omniscient narrator

Extra Credit for The Grapes of Wrath

A Blockbuster Success: In 1940, The Grapes of Wrath was adapted into a movie, directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda as Tom Joad. The film was nominated for seven Oscars, and won two.

Steinbeck’s Politics: Although Steinbeck’s politics certainly leaned left, and he sympathized intensely with the working man, he never aligned with the Communist Party. Three trips to Soviet Russia only affirmed his distaste for Communism. Later on, Steinbeck developed more conservative views; he was at first supportive of Lyndon Johnson’s stance on the war in Vietnam, and he held the 1960’s counterculture in little esteem.

AP Assignments for The Grapes of Wrath

By tim roberts san dieguito academy encinitas, ca, 2009.

On a schedule in which there is never enough time and within a curriculum in which everything, at least on paper, has to be tied to the AP Language exam, finding a place for a novel the size of  The Grapes of Wrath  can take some doing. What follows are two suggested AP writing assignments that could be done with the book to supplement whatever other literary or response-based approach you may choose. As far as teaching to the test, the language exam has a number of qualities to recommend for it despite its necessarily superficial and abbreviated format. Rhetorical analysis promotes close reading, and the interchapters lend themselves well to such analysis. They are rich in imagery and figurative language, widely range in tone, and employ syntax to varied and dramatic effect. The synthesis essay calls on students to use research materials in forming a coherent argument; there are a number of topics in the novel that could be grouped with outside readings to provide the basis for such an essay. It’s an assignment that would lead students to examine the novel’s themes more thoroughly and explore their significance more deeply.

Rhetorical analysis

I’m familiar with  The Grapes of Wrath  as a staple in AP Language classes that had their roots in American literature courses. It’s still possible to invest the time to read the book with students while preparing them for the exam. I’ll assume that most students would have been introduced to rhetorical analysis already. The interchapters represent a stylistic tour de force on Steinbeck’s part, kind of the writerly equivalent of a jazz musician referencing Dixieland, swing, bop, and free jazz in a concept album. “Perhaps no aspect of Steinbeck’s accomplishment in  The Grapes of Wrath  has been overlooked as often as the sheer genius of prose style throughout the novel,” writes Louis Owens in  The Grapes of Wrath : Trouble  in the Promised Land . His excerpt on style, “From Genesis to Jalopies: A Tapestry of Styles,” is an adequate reference on the interchapters’ stylistic variety from the opening’s biblical cadences and epic sweep to the fragment-filled passages that render the confusion generated by the fast-talking used car salesmen.

The analyses could be approached in a number of ways. An entire chapter could be analyzed; the students could identify what they see as Steinbeck’s major purpose in the selection and explain what rhetorical elements uses to convey it. Alternatively, students could be given a section of the chapter, perhaps of a roughly equivalent length to an AP selection. For example, Chapter 23 has several short scenes depicting the migrants’ pleasures at the roadside camps, including telling stories, making music, dancing, getting drunk and getting saved. Any of those slices would be a suitable subject for analysis. Even a more seamless interchapter, such as Chapter 15, can be divided into smaller, more manageable units (the initial description of the diner, Mae and Al; the description of the “shitheel” couple). In another variation, the prompt could be focused to mirror some of the AP rhetorical analysis exercises. For example, students could analyze how Steinbeck conveys his criticism of the used car salesmen in Chapter 7, or his view of technology as expressed in the depiction of the tractor in Chapter 5.

Synthesis essay

In addition to the rhetorical analysis, the multitude of developed topics in  The Grapes of Wrath  could be used to give students practice with the synthesis essay. The essay calls for students to integrate at least three of six to seven given sources into a coherent argumentative essay. Teachers could choose topics and passages for the students to integrate into an essay supplemented by material that they have found or that students locate through research. In addition to the skills involved in crafting a solidly argued synthesis essay, the assignment could have students meet a number of other goals. For example, they could learn to identify thematic topics in novels such as are developed in  The Grapes of Wrath . They could also research supplementary works to complement their topics.

A few suggested topics with suggested supplementary works follow. (If you’re like me, you want to use your own. I usually find more reasons to reject people’s suggested titles than adopt them, preferring to find my own. An assignment of this nature might work best if the teacher or students chose works of particular interest to them. However, the suggestions are offered in the spirit of providing some leads and examples.)

The alienating nature of technology Steinbeck presents conflicting views.

In Chapter 5, the tractor is presented as an insect-like destructive force that rapes the land and separates its driver both from the land and the community. However, in Chapter 10, Al is described as closely in tune with the truck, monitoring it for problems. That close relationship is echoed in Chapter 12, the interchapter depicting the migrants’ “flight” along Route 66. Finally, in Chapter 16 Steinbeck gives nearly step-by-step instructions in how to replace a con-rod in 1925 Dodge that highlight the men’s intimate relationship with the machine. The intimacy that characterized the farmers’ relationship with the land now colors their relationship with machines. These alternative attitudes toward technology – intimate and alienating – can be found in a number of other works. I’ll suggest three:  Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance  by Robert Pirsig (that dates me);  “The Case for Working with Your Hands”  by Matthew Crawford, which appeared in the May 21, 2009 New York Times Magazine and is adopted from his book  The Soulcraft of Shop Class ,; and “ Brain Candy: Is pop culture dumbing us down or smartening us up? ” by Malcolm Gladwell, which first appeared in  The New Yorker .

The immorality of capitalism

Throughout the novel, Steinbeck presents an indictment of a capitalist system that allows people to starve, exploits them mercilessly and, ultimately, is complicit in their murder. That topic is explored in a number of short essays by eminent economists, philosophers and politicians entitled  “Does the free market corrode moral character? ” available at the John Templeton Foundation website.

The morality of working for the good of the group

In the novel, Steinbeck charts his characters’ growth from looking after their own self-interests to caring for the good of the whole, depicts their movement from “I to We.” This is a topic with a rich tradition in American literature from which to draw: Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-Reliance”; the poetry of Walt Whitman; aspects of Mark Twain’s  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . An interesting companion piece might be William Golding’s  Lord of the Flies , a staple of early high school years with an arresting counterpoint to Steinbeck’s view of the group behavior. For an interesting evolutionary biological view, try Natalie Angier’s  “Of Altruism, Heroism and Evolution’s Gifts ” from the September 18, 2001  New York Times .

There are a number of other lesser topics that can be followed and extracted out of  The Grapes of Wrath  that could make for engaging work: the crippling effects of guilt, sin and shame, as illustrated by Uncle John’s condition, the nasty shopkeeper that Ma converts in Chapter 26 and misery-dealing evangelicals; the nature of work, both satisfying and alienating, seen, again, in the alienated tractor driver in contrast with the pleasures of hefting a pickaxe in Chapter 22; the dangers and uses of anger, providing people with the righteous outrage to fight on bookended in the first and penultimate chapters but worrying Ma that it will reduce Tom to a “walkin’ chunk a mean-mad”; the advisability of taking life one day at a time and going with the flow suggested in Tom’s repeated strategy of just putting one foot in front of another and Ma’s ability to ride easily in the truck and adjust to the life changes, the latter explained to Pa in Chapter 28.

The above is not, by any means, intended to lay out a complete serving of topics in  The Grapes of Wrath . (I haven’t even broached the repeated references to road kill.) It does suggest ways to incorporate a lengthy novel in a curriculum hemmed in by the demands of the AP Language requirements.

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck: English 1302 Ms. Henry

Grapes of wrath research project instructions.

Research Topics

• Directions for Group Research
• John Steinbeck and The Grapes of Wrath
• Banks and the Stock Market Crash of 1929
• Impact of High Unemployment
• Hoovervilles
• The Dust Bowl
• Migrant Labor/Okies
• President Franklin D. Roosevelt
• Fireside Chats
• New Deal 1 & 2
• Social Security Administration
• Civilian Conservation Corp
• Works Progress Administration

Building Historical Context for The Grapes of Wrath through Collaborative Research

Your first group project will be to research cultural, social, and economic conditions that occurred during the Great Depression. You will have two library days for research and the library will have extended hours on Monday after school for additional research assistance. *See Ms. Hardin or Sr. Porras  if you need help with the database usernames and passwords. We will also have them posted on a white board.

Step 1: Set-up group work norms. - Create a group of 4-5 team members. - Choose a topic from the tabbed list. - Review the steps below for your research. - Divide up the work equally among each member. - Be accountable to one another and do your fair share.

Step 2: NoodleTools - Set up a NoodleTools project and share with your teacher, librarian, and group members. - Choose MLA Advanced as your format - In the "To-Do" section, record your group norms for sharing the researching tasks. - When researching, cite all sources in MLA format and use the notecards for collaborative note taking.

Step 3: As a group, watch the overview video and answer the 5 Ws on one notecard. Who: What: When: Where: Why: How:

Step 4: Each topic has a set of  deep dive questions for your group to consider. Use the library database articles and books to help you analyze the questions. Record your notes using the notecards in NoodleTools. Make sure to include direct quotes and paraphrase information for better understanding.

Research ideas to think about…

• How did John Steinbeck's personal experiences and observations during the Great Depression influence The Grapes of Wrath ?
• What real-life events inspired John Steinbeck to write about fictional families living through the Great Depression?
• How did John Steinbeck's political beliefs and ideologies, particularly his sympathy towards labor movements, shape the writing of the novel?
• Why was there instances of censorship surrounding The Grapes of Wrath ?

• What happened in 1929 on "Black Tuesday"?
• What were the key triggers for the widespread bank runs that occurred following the stock market crash?
• How did the stock market crash and banking crisis affect societal attitudes toward wealth and financial institutions during the Great Depression?
• What were some of the cultural shifts or changes in consumer behavior that attributed to the economic hardships of the Great Depression?
• How did the experience of the Great Depression influence the creation of government institutions like the Securities and Exchanged Commission (SEC) and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)?

• How did the Great Depression shape long-term economic policies and institutions?
• Did the experience of the Great Depression lead to lasting changes in societal attitudes toward economic stability?
• How did the high levels of unemployment during the Great Depression impact individuals and families on a personal and emotional level?
• What role did government play to alleviate the hardships of unemployment?
• How were families impacted by economic hard times?

• What were the origins of Hoovervilles, and how did they emerge as a response to the economic challenges of the Great Depression?What
• What were the living conditions in Hoovervilles compare to agricultural labor camps during the Great Depression?
• In what ways did Hoovervilles shape public perceptions and attitudes about poverty?
• How did Hoovervilles residents cope with the challenges they faced? 

• What were the main reasons behind the formation of the Bonus Army?
• How did the economic conditions of the Great Depression contribute to its emergence?
• What were the demographics of the Bonus Army, and how did the composition of the group reflect the broader social and economic struggles of the Great Depression?
• How did the Bonus Army organize and execute the march on Washington, D.C. in 1932?
• What were the key events of the protest in 1932?
• How did President Hoover initially respond to the presence of the Bonus Army in the nation's capital?
• How did the Bonus Army's activism contribute to the shaping of subsequent veteran's benefits and policies?

• What were the primary environmental factors that contributed to the Dust Bowl?
• How was agriculture affected by the Dust Bowl?
• How did the Dust Bowl affect the livelihoods and well-being of farmers in affected regions both socially and economically?
• How did the migration patterns of families during the Dust Bowl contribute to demographic shifts and changes in rural communities?
• What ways did government attempt to provide relief to those directly and indirectly impacted by the Dust Bowl?

• What is the historical and cultural significance of the term "okie", and how did it become associated with migrant workers during the Great Depression?
• How did the economic challenges of the Great Depression contribute to the mass migration of individuals and families, particularly from the Dust Bowl region, seeking work and better opportunities?
• What factors influenced the decision of Okies and other migrants to move to different parts of the country?
• What were the living and working conditions experienced by Okies and other migrants?
• To what extent did Okies and migrant workers face discrimination and prejudice in the regions they migrated to during the Great Depression?

• Discuss the social and economic significance of FDR's first and second elections.
• Discuss the significance and result of FDR's third election.
• How did FDR's perception of government's role in addressing economic challenges differ from his predecessors (Herbert Hoover) during the Great Depression?
• How did FDR's philosophy about government intervention shape the New Deal policies during the Great Depression?
• In what ways did FDR's leadership style and communication skills contribute to the successes and challenges of implementing the New Deal?
• To what extent did the New deal contribute to long-term economic and social change in the United States?

• How did FDR's use of radio for fireside chats represent an innovative approach to presidential communication during the 1930s?
• What were FDR's primary goals in delivering fireside chats, and how did he envision the impact of these broadcasts on public perception and confidence?
• How did FDR create a sense of connection with the American people through the fireside chats?
• How were fireside chats received by the American public, and did public opinion and confidence change in response to these broadcasts?
• To what extent did the fireside chats influence public understanding about New Deal programs, economic recovery, and wartime efforts?
• Identify and describe New Deal 1.
• Identify and describe New Deal 2.
• How did New Deal programs respond to the economic hardships during the Great Depression?
• Which social and cultural changes were influenced by the New Deal?
• What aspects of the New Deal policies that continue to influence economic and social policies?

• What were the key motivations behind the establishment of Social Security as part of the New Deal?
• How did economic challenges of the Great Depression influence the decision to create Social Security?
• How did Social Security define eligibility criteria, and what segments of the population were initially covered by the program?
• How has Social Security provided a safety net to help bridge a financial gap?

• Provide examples of CCC projects.
• What were the key motivations behind the establishment of the Civilian Conservation Corp as part of the New Deal?
• What type of projects were undertaken by the CCC, and how did they contribute to natural conservation and infrastructure development?
• What were the demographic or regional considerations in the selection of CCC projects and participants?
• In addition to providing employment, how did the CCC offer training and educational opportunities for the members who joined?

• Provide examples of WPA projects.
• What were the key motivations behind the establishment of the Works Progress Administration as part of the New Deal?
• What type of projects were undertaken by the WPA, and how did its scope differ from other New Deal projects?
• How did the diverse goals of the WPA (arts, education, infrastructure, etc.) contribute to the success of the New Deal?
• How did the Federal Arts Project within the WPA contribute to the cultural landscape of the United States?
• How did the WPA play a role in fostering civic pride and community through the creation and enhancement of pubic spaces, such as parks, libraries, art, and recreational facilities?

Novel Study Guides and Analysis

• The Grapes of Wrath Introduction PowerPoint presentation for English 1302 by Ms. Henry
• For Fun- John Steinbeck Coloring Pages

• How to Write Critically About The Grapes of Wrath (Blooms Literature)
• Biblical Inversion in  The Grapes of Wrath  (Gale Literature Resource Center)
• Battle Hymn of the Republic (Gale LitFinder)

Read More John Steinbeck at Your Americas Library

In Dubious Battle

This 1936 novel-set in the California apple country-portrays a strike by migrant workers that metamorphoses from principled defiance into blind fanaticism.

Cannery Row

The adventures of a group of workers and their families who rely on a California cannery for their livelihood. Followed by Sweet Thursday (1954).

The lives of a poor Mexican pearl fisher and his family change dramatically after he uncovers a fabulous pearl.

Of Mice and Men

A controversial tale of friendship and tragedy during the Great Depression   They are an unlikely pair: George is "small and quick and dark of face"; Lennie, a man of tremendous size, has the mind of a young child. Yet they have formed a "family," clinging together in the face of loneliness and alienation.

The Red Pony

Raised on a ranch in northern California, Jody is well-schooled in the hard work and demands of a rancher's life. He is used to the way of horses, too; but nothing has prepared him for the special connection he will forge with Gabilan, the hot-tempered pony his father gives him.

Travels with Charley in Search of America

An intimate journey across America, as told by one of its most beloved writers. To hear the speech of the real America, to smell the grass and the trees, to see the colors and the light--these were John Steinbeck's goals as he set out, at the age of fifty-eight, to rediscover the country he had been writing about for so many years.

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The Grapes of Wrath Essays

Throughout history, human beings have been incessantly cruel and violent towards each other. It has happened so much so, that some have argued human nature is intrinsically violent and aggressive. This can be seen in chapter 25 of The Grapes of Wrath: the mindless destruction of resources...

In the novel, “The Grapes of Wrath,” John Steinbeck shows a variety of rhetorical strategies and devices in the first fourteen chapters, such as, symbolism, diction and personification to help the reader be more intrigued. Through out the entire novel symbolism allowed Steinbeck to continue to...

Although not exactly the same, The Grapes of Wrath and To Kill A Mockingbird are similar in that the major conflicts in each deal with two people groups, one of which believes that they are superior to the other. This is shown in The Grapes of Wrath by the conflict caused by the Great Depression...

Introduction The Grapes of Wrath is a novel which radically analyzed the exploitation of agricultural workers and the culmination of the racist emphasis on whites as victims in the thirties. It argued that Anglo-Saxon whites were the main subjects who deserved worthy of treatment. The novel...

Since the creation of humankind, man has faced the war of conquering the land, to attain its ownership. Be it during the times of the Homo sapiens, when man fought against the wildest animals, creating its own pastures of growth and living, or the times when lands were being shaken by monstrous...

3 786 words

Burkhead, Cynthia. Student Companion to John Steinbeck. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002 Cynthia Burkhead's book is a comprehensive discussion of John Steinbeck and some of his more well-known writings. The book begins with a brief description of Steinbeck's career as a writer and his...

1 536 words

The story of the Joad family in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath is fictional but the circumstances that shape their story are based on real-life happenings during the 1930’s. The Joad family experienced the harsh realities of the Dust Bowl migration brought about by the Great Depression and...

2 309 words

A thought that is ‘seeded’ into an author’s mind is outputted in his or hers work. That ‘seeding’ of thought could be initiated by the ‘system’ in which the author lives or lived. That is, the author observing the environment, persons, events etc, he/she faced will ‘interpret’ it in written forms...

1 311 words

John Steinbeck’s contribution to American literature is cemented in the works of East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath and Cannery Row. His use of regionalism and his simplistic characters with everyday problems has gained him the reputation of one of the greatest writers in American history. The...

1 129 words

The Grapes of Wrath: Symbolism February 28, 1997 The Grapes of Wrath is a novel by John Steinbeck that exposes the desperate conditions under which the migratory farm families of America during the 1930's live under. The novel tells of one families migration west to California through the great...

1 195 words

The Grapes of Wrath: Symbolic Characters Struggling through such things as the depression, the Dust Bowl summers, and trying to provide for their own families, which included finding somewhere to travel to where life would be safe. Such is the story of the Joads. The Joads were the main family in...

2 870 words

John Steinbeck wrote in his 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath: "And then the dispossessed were drawn west- from Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico; from Nevada and Arkansas, families, tribes, dusted out, tractored out. Carloads, caravans, homeless and hungry; twenty thousand and fifty thousand and a...

1 109 words

THE GRAPES OF WRATH -Movie Review- FROM A TRIBUNE MOVIE CRITIC VIEW POINT People today realize that individualism in our time, of the Great Depression, doesn't work. The stock market is plunging; people are losing their jobs, money, and homes. The most well known people suffering through these...

1 Introduction This seminar paper tries to give some insight into the biblical structure of John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath. The reason why I chose this novel is that I am really fascinated by Steinbeck's style of writing which varies from symbolic to allegorical. After I have finished...

9 324 words

The novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck has many themes, but one theme the story is centralized around is the role of Christianity. The role of Christianity in The Grapes of Wrath is what allows the people to keep going during the times of the Great Depression. Without religion, the...

Themes in The Grapes of Wrath The Joads are on their way to California. The land which seems to be a heaven with great work, little white houses, and many acres of land. But the Joads soon find out that California may not be the paradise they dreamed of. Their journey to California will be full of...

2 228 words

Film Review: The Grapes of Wrath The film The Grapes of Wrath, directed by John Ford, pragmatically depicts the conditions, both cultural and economic, during the Great Depression. The film specifically focuses on the "Dust Bowl" in the 1930s. The main focus of The Grapes of Wrath is the journey...

The Grapes of Wrath: Connections to the Great Depression The decaying state of the American economy and the onset of the Great Depression in the 1930s brought about the necessity for the United States to reconsider its attitudes and examine the long term effects of its policies concerning...

1 572 words

An effective way writers demonstrate the moral values of a society is by not telling the story from one in the society, but from the point of view of a person alienated from it. This method reveals small things that one in the society would not notice and provides different insights only one from...

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The Grapes Of WrathName:_____________________________ Regents / Honors English 11Period:____ Date:___________________ The Grapes of Wrath WPA Project 2008 As you have been learning in U. S. History and in background research of To Kill a Mockingbird, the Great Depression was a time when the...

The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck

The Grapes of Wrath essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.

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The Grapes of Wrath Essays

Contrasting the movie and novel form of the grapes of wrath christopher m. earhart, the grapes of wrath.

John Steinbeck wrote the The Grapes of Wrath in 1939 to rouse its readers against those who were responsible for keeping the American people in poverty. The Grapes of Wrath tells the story of the Joad family, migrant farmers from Oklahoma...

Four Pages of Fear, Hostility, and Exploitation James Boo

Steinbeck's intercalary chapters in The Grapes of Wrath have nothing to do with the Joads or other characters of the novel, but help describe the story in different terms. They are similar to poems, offering different viewpoints of the migration,...

All in the Family in The Grapes of Wrath Theoderek Wayne

The indefatigable spirit of unity emerges as the one unfailing source of strength in John Steinbecks migrant worker classic The Grapes of Wrath. As the Joad familys world steadily crumbles, hope in each other preserves the members sense of pride,...

The Importance of Chapter Twenty-Five Tom Hale

Chapter Twenty-Five is central to John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath. Besides containing the title of the book, this chapter clearly, forcefully, and elegantly drives home Steinbecks central messagethe injustice of life in the Depression-era...

Grapes of Greatness Michael Jin

Historians have noted that works of literature often adopt the mood of the times in which they were written. It is thus not surprising that The Grapes of Wrath, written by John Steinbeck in the desperate nadir of the Great Depression, appears to...

Problem vs Picaresque Erica Frank

John Steinbeck wrote two novels in the thirties concerning human behaviors during the depression entitled The Grapes of Wrath in 1939 and In Dubious Battle in 1936. The Grapes of Wrath is the better novel because it fulfills the requirements of...

Camaraderie: Deciding an Individual's Fate Sarma Vemuri

Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath, two novels published concurrently by John Steinbeck, both depict camaraderie between dust bowl migrants. The main characters in Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie, form a bond, while struggling to reach...

Christian Influence in The Grapes of Wrath Trey Burch

Authors often use religious allusions to further the significance of a novel. It is when the reader recognizes and understands these influences that the importance of the novel can be truly understood. In John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath ,...

Class Consciousness in The Grapes of Wrath Timothy Sexton

Steinbeck's novel "The Grapes of Wrath" has been the subject of much critical attention. Many of the novel's detractors have concentrated their critiques not upon its literary failings, but rather its politics (Zirakzadeh). At the time of the...

Ma Joad: The Progression from Family to Humanity Olivia Hudson Gray

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck introduces a family rooted in the leadership of men. The journey of hardship they endure, however, disintegrates this patriarchal control, leaving the women, Ma specifically, to take charge. As Pa falls...

Depression-Era Philosophies: Steinbeck and Sturges Anonymous

Though operating in vastly different mediums, novelist John Steinbeck and filmmaker Preston Sturges were among the first American artists to explore philosophical solutions to the economic travesty that gripped the national psyche from 1929 to...

The Harbinger of Tom Joad: John Steinbeck’s Approach to Documentary Reportage in “The Harvest Gypsies” Anonymous

Nearly sixty years after John Steinbeck put pen to paper and wrote the series of San Francisco News articles that would later inspire The Grapes of Wrath, a renowned singer-songwriter from Freehold, New Jersey wrote a beautifully tragic song...

Themes and Style of the Writings of John Steinbeck Anonymous 11th Grade

John Steinbeck’s novels The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men enable readers to capture a glimpse of the time of the Great Depression in the United States. In The Grapes of Wrath , the Joad family of Oklahoma, accompanied by thousands of other...

Nourishment as a Symbol in The Grapes Of Wrath Johnathon Roy Kreider 9th Grade

Nourishment as a Symbol in The Grapes Of Wrath

In The Grapes of Wrath, families traveling to California suffer starvation and exhaustion because of malnourishment. The Dust Bowl is a physical embodiment of their starvation. Possibly more important...

The Fundamental Features of Human Unity: An Analysis of the Meaning of Family in The Grapes of Wrath Makayla Hays 11th Grade

A family functions like a grapevine; its coarse green vines intertwine from the dusty dirt that conceals the intricate network of roots to the first cluster of sweet grapes that grow in the hot California sun. Similar to the growth pattern of a...

Jim Casy and Chris McCandless: Transcendentalism Gone Wrong Jim Casy and Chris McCandless: Transcendentalism Gone Wrong 12th Grade

The philosophy of transcendentalism has played a major role in shaping American literature for the last 150 years. At its core, transcendentalism is a set of principles designed to guide a person to happiness through their relationships with God,...

Society and Collectivism Jonathan Monahemi 11th Grade

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s experiences in life create a pathway that guides the development of his morals and values. Through his journey, he establishes a unique interpretation towards life that he culminates in “Self Reliance.” By understanding...

Emersonian thought in Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath Anonymous 11th Grade

Steinbeck’s characterization of Jim Casy in The Grapes of Wrath stems from Emersonian thought, as expressed in Emerson’s essay “The Over-Soul”. Jim Casy forms beliefs based on the ideas presented in this piece, as evident through his action of...

Grapes of Wrath as a Compassionate Social Narrative Aaisha Mumtaz College

“Like William Faulkner and Willa Cather, John Steinbeck wrote his best fiction about the region in which he grew up and the people he knew from boyhood…” Paul McCarthy

Steinbeck’s novels of the common people and the troubles that beset them have...

The Use of Color Throughout The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath Anonymous College

In both The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath, color is used in order to reflect the atmosphere or mood. This allows Fitzgerald and Steinbeck to illustrate the events in a more sophisticated style and intensify the clarity of actions; therefore...

The Struggles of Life Described In the Dust Bowl: Comparing “The Grapes of Wrath” and “The Worst Hard Time” Anonymous 11th Grade

Depicting a world where the struggle to survive is elemental, two incisive narratives emerged to describe what life was like during the Dust Bowl. Timothy Egan’s The Worst Hard Time comprises a non-fiction description of life following actual...

Society, Poverty, and History in The Good Earth and The Grapes of Wrath Anonymous 12th Grade

While The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and The Good Earth by Pearl Buck vary greatly in basic subject matter, their thematic content and general intent are strikingly similar. Both award-winning literary works in their own right, together...

Reality in “The Grapes of Wrath” Anonymous 11th Grade

America is known to be the land of freedom and opportunities, but in times of crisis it can turn into a disaster. During the 1930s America was going through a terrible drought, no rain and extremely high temperatures, which later on led to the...

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The Grapes of Wrath: Context ( OCR A Level English Literature )

Revision note.

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Context should inform, but should never dominate, your reading of the text. Any comments on context must consider the significance and influence of the contexts in which the text was written and received. When exploring context for The Grapes of Wrath, you should consider primarily the literary context, and then include any other relevant contexts as appropriate to the question. Each of the topics below link directly to the key themes and ideas in The Grapes of Wrath:

Literary context

Social context, historical context.

Assessment objective 3 (AO3) requires you to demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received. It is the dominant AO in Question 4 (the comparative essay) – worth 50% of the marks – but it is still important in Question 3 (the critical appreciation task) as it is worth 12.5% of the marks. In both of your responses, it is imperative that you do not just reproduce prepared material on contextual factors (the most obvious being historical context). Context should be referred to in a way that sheds light on the text, and the contextual factors you should explore are entirely dependent on the focus of the question.

When considering a novel’s literary context, it is important to explore the form and genre it is written in, as well as anything the novel might do that defies the expectations of a particular genre. The Grapes of Wrath can be seen as an example of Realism. The section below will explore Realism in relation to the novel in more detail.

Realism attempts to create literature in which the world is presented as it exists. It was a dramatic shift from Romanticism, which had dominated literature prior to the introduction of Realism. Its purpose is to present everyday experiences as they are in real life, even if they are monotonous and mundane. It represents people, places and stories in a real and believable way. 

Some of the key elements of Realism include:

Realistic characters

Realistic setting

A feasible plot

An importance placed on depicting social class

A tendency to avoid over-dramatising or romanticising a story

Realism in the Grapes of Wrath

Steinbeck employs Realism in the novel to depict the harsh realities of life during the Great Depression, focusing in particular on the experiences of migrant workers

Steinbeck provides detailed and vivid descriptions to add to the realism:

He describes the landscape, people and conditions, aiming to create an accurate portrayal of the Dust Bowl ,  migrant camps, and the struggles faced by the Joad family

The characters in the novel speak in a manner reflective of the social and economic context of the time:

Steinbeck captures the dialects, colloquialisms and speech patterns of the people he is depicting, emphasising the authenticity of their experiences

The novel realistically portrays the economic hardships faced by the Joad family and other migrants:

The emphasis on poverty, unemployment and the struggle for survival reflects the widespread economic challenges of the era

Steinbeck exposes the social injustices and exploitation prevalent during the Great Depression:

The depiction of the disparity between the wealthy landowners and the impoverished   migrant workers reflects the reality of class struggles and economic inequality

The novel uses intercalary chapters to present facts and events in a straightforward manner:

This style aligns with Realism aiming to provide an objective and truthful account of the social and economic conditions of the time

Realism often focuses on the ordinary and everyday aspects of life:

Steinbeck does this by portraying the Joad family’s daily struggles, interactions with other migrants and the monotony of life in the camps, offering a realistic glimpse into their existence

Steinbeck uses Realism as a tool for social commentary:

By presenting a truthful account of the migrants’ lives, he invites readers to reflect on the societal issues and injustices depicted in the novel

Realism also involves portraying the resilience of the human spirit amid adversity:

Despite the hardships, the characters in The Grapes of Wrath exhibit resilience and determination in their quest for a better life

In the comparative essay, AO3 carries a weighting of 50%. However, this does not mean that the majority of your response should be focused on historical or cultural information.

You should aim to integrate contextual information into your argument to support your wider reading of texts, rather than giving your essay a heavy historical focus. Examiners are not looking for everything you know about John Steinbeck and realism in the early 20th century, but are instead looking at how well you can pick out contextual information to support your reading of The Grapes of Wrath.

A novel’s social context can be thought of as the social and political environment in which it was written, and the social and political environment in which it is understood. Through The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck offers a critique of American society and its values during the Great Depression. This is explored in more detail below.

The Great Depression

The Grapes of Wrath vividly depicts life during the Great Depression, offering a poignant portrayal of the struggles and challenges faced by individuals and families:

During the Depression, there was widespread unemployment across the nation and many families struggled to make ends meet due to a loss of jobs

Environmental disasters, such as the Dust Bowl, exacerbated economic hardships:

Dust storms destroyed crops and livelihoods, forcing people to migrate, just like the Joads in the novel

Migrant families travelled long distances in search of work, which is accurately portrayed in the novel:

The Joads face harsh conditions on the road, living in makeshift camps and facing discrimination

The Joad family and other migrants experience extreme poverty:

Homelessness is rampant, with families living in shanty towns and camps

Large landowners exploited migrant workers, paying low wages and providing inadequate living conditions:

Migrant workers faced intense competition for jobs, leading to further exploitation

The novel highlights social injustices, including the mistreatment of workers and the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few:

Discrimination against migrants was prevalent, leading to a dehumanising experience

The Joad family and others fight for dignity in the face of degrading conditions:

Characters strive to maintain their humanity and resist being dehumanised by circumstances

Economic hardship puts stress on family structures:

The Joads experience family breakdowns and loss as they navigate the challenges of the Depression

Despite hardships, characters hold on to the hope of a better future:

The journey to California symbolises the pursuit of the American Dream amid adversity

The novel also explores the inadequacy of government relief programs

Migrant communities form along the journey, providing a support network:

The novel emphasises the importance of solidarity and collective action

Characters endure personal loss and sacrifice for the sake of survival:

The narrative reflects the toll the Great Depression took on individuals and families

The novel serves as a powerful and realistic portrayal of life during the Great Depression:

It captures the resilience, desperation and hope that characterised this challenging period in American history

Whilst background knowledge of the historical context in which a text was written and received is useful, any reference to historical context should be made judiciously and linked carefully to the themes in the novel and the focus of the exam question. Below you will find some comments about historical context relevant to the key themes and ideas in the novel.

Steinbeck started writing novels in 1929 and published what is known as his masterpiece, The Grapes of Wrath, in 1939:

When the novel was published, it became an instant bestseller

During the early 1930s, a severe drought occurred, which led to huge agricultural failure throughout Oklahoma and Texas

Steinbeck took the task of writing about the plight of migrant farm workers very seriously:

He lived in Oklahoma with a farming family and made the journey with them to California

In 1940, the novel was awarded the Pulitzer Prize and adapted into a film

The story of the Joad family captures an unsettled time in America and it has been suggested that the character of Jim Casy reflects Steinbeck’s own views on society

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Author: Nadia Ambreen

Nadia is a graduate of The University of Warwick and Birmingham City University. She holds a PGCE in secondary English and Drama and has been a teacher for over 10 years. She has taught English Literature, Language and Drama across key stages 3 to 5. She has also been an examiner for a leading exam board and has experience designing and delivering schemes of work for AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas.

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• Table Of Contents

The Grapes of Wrath , the best-known novel by John Steinbeck , published in 1939. It evokes the harshness of the Great Depression and arouses sympathy for the struggles of migrant farmworkers . The book came to be regarded as an American classic.

The narrative, which traces the migration of an Oklahoma Dust Bowl family to California and their subsequent hardships, is interspersed with prose-poem interludes that explain the wider circumstances of the world with which the protagonists contend.

Tom Joad, newly released from prison after serving a sentence for manslaughter, makes his way home, and along the way he is joined by Jim Casy, a former preacher. Tom learns that his family has been evicted from the farm and has moved in with Uncle John. When the two men reach Uncle John’s home , they find the family, enticed by handbills advertising farm-labour jobs, preparing to drive to California . The Joads and Casy head out along Route 66 , joining an exodus of poor tenant farmers heading west. They encounter many obstacles on the journey, as well as warnings that the jobs they expect in California are illusory. Grampa and Granma Joad die along the route, and Tom’s elder brother, Noah, decides to abandon the enterprise.

Upon arrival in California, they find that their trials are far from over. They stop in a migrant encampment, where they speak with a man named Floyd Knowles, who informs them that jobs are scarce, available pay is poor, and families are literally starving to death in the makeshift migrant camps. Connie, the husband of Tom’s pregnant sister, Rose of Sharon (called Rosasharn by her family), abandons her. When a man arrives seeking workers to pick fruit, Floyd asks for the proposed wages in writing. A policeman accuses him of communism and tries to arrest him. A fight breaks out, and, when the policeman shoots at the fleeing Floyd, Casy knocks him out. Casy is arrested, and the Joad family heads to another town, where they are met by a hostile crowd gathered to keep “Okies”—migrants from Oklahoma and nearby states—away. However, they later find the government-run camp Weedpatch, which is kept clean and organized by committees of residents, and Tom finds work.

After a month in the camp, Ma Joad declares that they must move on because of the scarcity of work. They soon are offered jobs picking peaches, but the pay is so low that they cannot afford an adequate dinner. Tom finds Casy, who is now organizing striking peach pickers—the Joad family was hired to be strikebreakers. A group of men approach the meeting under cover of darkness, and one of them strikes Casy with a pick handle, killing him. An enraged Tom kills that man before returning to his family. Fearful that Tom will be arrested, the Joads leave the peach farm.

They subsequently find good work picking cotton, as well as a home in a boxcar that they share with another family. Tom, who has gone into hiding, decides to become a labour organizer. When the season for cotton ends, the Joads again struggle to find work. Endless rains cause flooding, and Rose of Sharon’s baby is stillborn. When the rising waters begin to fill the boxcar, the Joad family leaves. They soon reach a barn, in which they find a small boy and a starving man. The book ends with Rose of Sharon feeding the man her breast milk.

The families and workers are exploited by organized business, and Steinbeck uses Christian religious imagery to press his arguments that using cropland as a source of profit for business rather than food for people causes widespread suffering and that political and spiritual unity is necessary to overcome the forces causing the dispossession of farmworkers. Ultimately, the migrants learn to rely on one another, and the insularity of the Joads—Ma’s obsession with family togetherness, Tom’s self-centredness, and Rose of Sharon’s materialism—gives way to a sense of universal community , a shift from an emphasis on “I” to “we.”

Steinbeck masterfully depicted the struggle to retain dignity and to preserve the family in the face of disaster, adversity, and vast, impersonal commercial influences. He based his epic on his visits to the migrant camps and tent cities of the workers, seeing firsthand the horrible living conditions of migrant families. His novel, with its easily accessible, colloquial style, was widely welcomed and hailed by working-class readers, though it was just as widely panned by business and government officials who took umbrage at its socialist overtones and denounced it as “communist propaganda”; some local areas, including Kern County, California, where the Joad family settles, branded the book libelous and even burned copies of it and banned it from libraries and schools. Nonetheless, it was the top-selling novel of 1939, and it won a Pulitzer Prize in 1940, the year of John Ford ’s acclaimed film adaptation of the book. The Grapes of Wrath also did much to earn the author the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962. Steinbeck plainly stated his purpose in writing the novel: “I want to put a tag of shame on the greedy bastards who are responsible for this [the Depression and the plight of the worker].”

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Social and Historical Analysis of "The Good Earth" and "The Grapes of Wrath"

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Related Essays on Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath is a novel and movie written by Jon Steinbeck in 1939. Steinbeck aimed to criticize those responsible for the poverty of the American people in the 1930s, telling the story of the Joad family's migration from [...]

“The Grapes of Wrath” is a powerful commentary on the struggles of the working class during the Great Depression. One of the most memorable characters in the novel is Tom Joad’s younger sister, commonly referred to as Turtle. [...]

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is a powerful and poignant novel that explores the struggles of the Joad family as they migrate from Oklahoma to California during the Great Depression. One of the most compelling aspects of [...]

Steinbeck's novel "The Grapes of Wrath" has been the subject of much critical attention. Many of the novel's detractors have concentrated their critiques not upon its literary failings, but rather its politics (Zirakzadeh). At [...]

Nourishment as a Symbol in The Grapes Of Wrath In The Grapes of Wrath, families traveling to California suffer starvation and exhaustion because of malnourishment. The Dust Bowl is a physical embodiment of their starvation. [...]

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is a powerful novel that tells the story of the Joad family as they struggle to survive during the Great Depression. Throughout the novel, Steinbeck includes intercalary chapters that [...]

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