Families In The Grapes Of Wrath

“I” to “We”. Let’s Start a Revolution

We live in a world full of chaos and the only way to survive is with a family, but what exactly is considered family? The people an individual shares the same blood with? or the people that share the same situation? In the book “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck develops a theme throughout the first fifteen chapters of the book. In other to survive chaos, people have to unite together and form strong bonds like a family and fight to overcome the obstacles that they face. Steinbeck develops his theme through the actions of the characters . Even if the reader does not get the theme he states it clearly in chapter fourteen and fifteen which is the importance of people coming together to fight for a cause.

First, Steinbeck introduces the character Tom Joad, a man that has recently released from jail and returns back home. On his way home he finds Reverend Casy, a man that used to be a preacher, which joins Tom in his Journey. Later Tom finds his family and realizes that they are going to California. It may be insignificant but Steinbeck at the beginning of the book introduce us one character. Which relates to the “I” form, but later the reader meets the whole family in which is the “We.” The

Throughout the novel she emphasizes of the family being together and helping others. For example, she worried that Tom would never find them if they moved without him knowing “ ‘Well!’ she cried we come mighty near to going without ya. An’ we was wonderin’ how in the worl’ you could ever find us” (96).As the reader can clearly see Ma Joad Was worried about Tom not being able to see them which shows that she has a sense of the family being together.Which enforces Steinbeck’s idea of a family being united and working together. Also, Ma shows that people should support each other whether they blood related or people