“The Grapes of Wrath” takes place during the great depression: which was a substantial economic downside in United States history. At the same time, racism continues in the United States. The Okies are very talented farmers and most of them travel along route 66 to hope for a better life, but something was waiting for them that was unexpected to these people. They did not receive any governmental supports they were ignorant, and this makes native people easier to realize Okies as an outsider also they found menial and low paying jobs. Steinbeck implies that man turns against another human for the survival of the fittest; therefore, they do not mind to put another human in a situation that is challenging to survive.
As an astute philosopher once declared “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” (Aristotle). This idea is called synergy and it means that teamwork leads to great benefits. This teamwork is demonstrated in the movie Dead Poet’s Society when Mr. Keating repeats “Or if you are slightly more daring O Captain, my Captain” (Dead Poets Society). He forces his class to work together and the results are astonishing. Characters in American literature do the same as they endure bad situations, which causes them to seek help from others and ultimately realize that they’re part of the oversoul. Those bad situations greatly impacted the characters and their actions. Seeking help was the only option after those situations occurred. After receiving
Though it is a book that has been on the censored list, Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is a worthy novel to continue in the high school curriculum due to its accurate portrayal of the time period. As a student reading this novel after many extensive United States history classes and the previous year taking AP United States History, I felt a new outlook after reading a fictional story about the matters of the depression and dust bowl of the 30’s. Steinbeck’s use of literary depiction strengthens the novel and makes it more than just a recollection of the time. His biblical allusions, imagery, symbolism, and figurative language allow the reader to immerse themselves in the time. As a result of this, the novel went from a tale of history to
How can one single person be such a positive influence on every single person around them? Jim Casy in The Grapes of Wrath manages to positively influence the Joad family, the main family in the novel, by leading them from Oklahoma to California. Without Casy, the Joad family would not be able to complete their pilgrimage half way across the United States. Casy is a holy and positive figure in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath because he is a figure of Jesus and helps the Joad Family across the country.
The main protagonist of the novel, Tom Joad, is known in story as a man with no regret. Although he had murdered a man and spent many years in prison, he showed no regret as he rarely brought up his past. Instead, he worries about his current problems and the issues his family is facing. Although he seems certain in his actions he does exhibit inner moral conflict as he soon found himself learning that he can’t always act, such as when he is unable to get a job and support his family. This situation, taking place during the middle of the novel, forces him to learn to be able to reflect on his problems without taking action.
Taking place in a time of depression, The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, follows the Joad family on their journey westward. Along with other migrants, they struggle with their forced silence. Crucial to their journey is their ex-preacher, Jim Casy. The relationship between Jim Casy and Jesus Christ is essential to The Grapes of Wrath, adding an element of guidance to the novel to show the importance of a quality leader.
Since the book came out in 1939, everyone has had a opinion on the ending to John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath. It has a very controversial ending, that Steinbeck thought would name the last nail into the coffin, so to speak, on how bad the dust bowl and moving west really was. The ending starts when the Joad family is threatened with a flood, so they make their way to a old barn where they find a boy and his old father. The boy says his father is starving, and that he can’t keep anything solid down. He needs something like soup or milk. Ma and Rose of Sharon look at each other and they agree that Rose of Sharon should use her milk, that she doesn’t need because her baby was stillborn, and feed this old man. Everyone gets out of the barn, and she feeds him. Now the weirdest part of all is that while she is feeding him, she starts to smile a mysterious smile. There are so many things that are just not right in any
In the painting, Kiss Me and You’ll kiss the ‘Lasses, Lily Martin Spencer used a woman holding a spoon and the title to demonstrate the beginning of challenging gender roles which relates to John Steinbeck’s cynical tone about gender roles and stereotyping in The Grapes of Wrath, thus proving that despite how far society seems to have come when it comes to gender equality, people still endure discrimination and stereotypical pressures today because of the sex they were born into. The woman in the picture is smiling at whoever is painting her or whoever is looking at her. The person, most likely a man, is tempted to kiss her but she warns, with the title, that if he does so she’ll hit him with the spoon she has in her hands. Also it’s ironic that the lady who
In chapter 9 of The Grapes of Wrath, the Joad family seem to lose their dignity. They are being kicked off of their land and forced to leave. They then resort to selling all of their belongings in order to gather up some money. Instead of facing the issue and
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is a novel with a lot of weight to it. The characters are a huge part of the story, and the author has them all stand for something and represent some element to help the novel provide a good overall picture of the
The shift from an independent, self-concerned character, to one of forethought and communally orientated is a common occurrence in fiction works. This notion is also known as a dynamic character, “a literary or dramatic character who undergoes an important inner change, as a change in personality or attitude.” In John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, almost every character undergoes a change and attitude shift from “I” to “we”, but each does so in a different manner. Tom Joad is the focus of a great majority of of the novel, and is ever-changing from the moment he is introduced, to his conclusion, while on the contrary, Reverend Jim Casy’s shift is quite apparent to readers.
Mothers always know what's best for their family. The Grapes of Wrath, By John Steinbeck, gives many great exemplifications of the transformations and the type of character Ma Joad is over the course of the novel. The novel also proves that Ma Joad knows exactly what is best for her family. She overcomes deaths, hardships, and famine, while also growing overall as a person.
John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath illustrates the story of Tom Joad during the Great Depression on his journey to California to find work and to find himself. Two men, Patrick Shaw and Joseph Campbell, use different tactics to portray his different stages of life. Although their structure of his journey contrast, their overall ideas seem to align. Shaw’s idea of Tom Joad’s psychological development and Campbell’s idea of the monomyth both describe a journey of Tom from the time he is released from prison to the time he returns home from California in which he is struggling to find his purpose in the world.
The text, Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck is one of the most popular books in America today. The book starts out in Oklahoma during the 1930s. In this novel, the Joads are forced off their property and without work. Ma Joad hears of work in California and the Joad family heads westward hoping to find some source of income. Steinbeck describes all the struggles that they endured and the novel ends with no hope for the Joad family to survive. Ma Joad helps out a lot in this movie and she was such a hard worker. In John Steinbeck’s movie, Grapes of Wrath, Ma Joad is my favorite character.
The term “American dream” was coined in 1931 by James Adams. It is defined as the dream of a land where life is fuller and richer for everyone. This dream has been shared by millions of people all over the world since America was discovered. People such as European immigrants, and even people born in the Americas who wanted to expand west. The Joad family’s journey is a prime example of the determinism families had to try to live the American dream. Through John Steinbeck's plot in The Grapes of Wrath, the struggle of the typical American dreamer is depicted in the Joad’s attempt to move to California for a better life.