Analysis Of The Book The Grapes Of Wrath - 904 Words

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 in search for a better life. The Glass Castle, a memoir by Jeanette Walls, tells the story of her family moving from place to place during modern day poverty. Both novels clearly illustrate the daily struggles of living without a permanent home. Each family has unique qualities that assist them in dealing with issues. Although they had different ways of making the best of their situations, they both had the same mindset and shared the goal of having a happy life. A central theme throughout The Grapes of Wrath is the importance of family. Throughout the family’s travels, the Joads encountered other families seeking a better future. For example, the Joads became friendly with the Wilsons. Almost immediately, the two families become one, sharing one another’s adversities like Grampa Joad’s death and committing to one another’s survival. In Chapter 17, the narrator explains how overtime all of the migrants ultimately came together and became one big family. â€Å"Twenty families became oneShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book Grapes Of Wrath 1436 Words   |  6 PagesTyler Jordan Ms. Mittleman Honors American Lit. September 14, 2014 â€Å"Humanity’s Wrathful Curtain† In his historical fiction, Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck characterizes the Joad family as one of the many migrating farming families subjected to prejudice and seclusion on their journey to California. Similarly, in T.C. Boyle’s Tortilla Curtain, Cà ¡ndido and Amà ©rica are victims of animosity and discrimination after fleeing their homes in Mexico to seek a better life in Los Angeles. In their storiesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Grapes Of Wrath 1193 Words   |  5 PagesTo quote Ma Joad in the film The Grapes of Wrath, â€Å"I ain t never gonna be scared no more. I was, though. For a while it looked as though we was beat. Good and beat. Looked like we didn t have nobody in the whole wide world but enemies. Like nobody was friendly no more. Made me feel kinda bad and scared too, like we was lost and nobody cared....Rich fellas come up and they die, and their kids ain’t no good and they die out. But we keep a comin’, we’re the people that live. They can’t wipe us out;Read MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Grapes Of Wrath 2169 Words   |  9 PagesThis is also known because of the fact that he uses several of his life experiences, repeatedly, throughout his various novels. Everyday strife, effects his characters in any given book. Across Steinbeck’s different works, patterns of grieving, lifestyle, and culture, are often mirrored across plots. Both The Grapes of Wrath and The Pearl embody Steinbeck’s archaic view of divine human culture. All his characters were real people. Through traveling and journalism, and his study of people, he has carvedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Grapes Of Wrath 2253 Words   |  10 PagesThe Grapes of Wrath Introduction The devastating effects of the dust storms mainly in western Oklahoma and the preceding rain failure caused families to flee to California. The banks repossession for their property and homes pushes them further into depression. Unguaranteed about a better future or even about the next meal, the families take their chances. Their arrival into California is however a disappointment as there are no jobs for them. Most ‘okies’ in the Hovervilles end up dead dueRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Grapes Of Wrath 2876 Words   |  12 PagesIntroduction In chapter one of the Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck paints a picture of the severe weather occurring throughout Oklahoma and its harsh affects on the farms and farmers. In the third chapter the he gives a symbolic story of a turtle who is trying to cross a road but then is purposely hit by a driver. The turtle lands on its back and then has to greatly struggle to cross the road. The harsh weather and the mean driver both represent the hardships in life that come as a result of outsideRead MoreThe Grapes of Wrath: The Role of Ma Joad1252 Words   |  6 PagesThrough the roughest times in life, we come across crises that reveal the true character in those around us. Those who are strong are divided from the weak and the followers divide from the leaders. In the novel, The Grapes of Wrath, author John Steinbeck presents the character Ma Joad who serves an important role as the rock that keeps the family together. The Joad family, apart from many families in Oklahoma, is forced to leave their homes in search of work and better opportunities; CaliforniaRead More The Pain of the Okies Exposed in The Grapes of Wrath Essay1485 Words   |  6 PagesThe Pain of the Okies Exposed in The Grapes of Wrath      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Dust bowl was an ecological and human disaster in the Southwestern Great Plains regions of the United States in the 1930s. The areas affected were Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. The poor handling of the land and years of drought caused this great disaster (Jones History). During this time the Okies--a name given to the migrants that traveled from Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, or anywhere in the Southwest or the northernRead MoreBlack Boy And The Grapes Of Wrath Analysis1728 Words   |  7 PagesThe bible is a pretty exhilarating book; tales of bearded men crossing deserts, talking snakes, talking bushes, forbidden fruits, floods, adultery, and pregnant virgins. What more could you want? Well, you might want to escape poverty. Logically, your next question is: can religion accomplish this task? And according to Richard Wright and John Steinbeck, the answer is a resounding â€Å"no.† Wright and Steinbeck, pump their books, Black Boy and The Grapes of Wra th, respectively, full of biblical allusionsRead MoreEssay about The Grapes of Wrath - Lifestyle in the 1930s1164 Words   |  5 PagesThe Grapes of Wrath is a historical and fictional novel that was written by John Steinbeck in 1939. He wanted to show his point of view of life in US during the years of Great Depression. This essay will talk about the lifestyle the public had during that time which dramatically changed conditions that the environment in we stern part of US had. The plot of Steinbeck?s work of fiction is rooted in the historical and social events of 1930s America, specifically the environmental disaster in OklahomaRead 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 to