The Social Inequality In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath
Through Steinbeck's novel he brings to attention the social injustice occurring against the working class. Inequality is recognized in many forms: from unequal land distribution, to allowing migrants to starve and contract diseases. One individual in the novel, with a newspaper company, is rumored to possess over a million acres, while the working class, many of whom are former farmers, are only allowed to view or work such land (Steinbeck 201). Working the land also poses labor injustice as pay is reported at a meager “twenty cents an hour,” which is incapable of supporting a family (Steinbeck 338). Without access to resources of the land and insufficient funds to support a family, migrant workers are positioned at the bottom of the social hierarchy.
The working class also experiences persecution from police as the law enforcement demoralizes
…show more content…
This instability allows police to charge any migrant with vagrancy, and have the accusations be believable. While many workers do travel and move frequently, seeking stability and hope for a permanent home, most do so while working a job, regardless of the insufficient pay. Instability also reflects over to the land as during the Dust Bowl in the Great Plains the soil was uplifted into the air with violent winds. The West evolved as migrants were forced from the Great Plains allowing for employers to take advantage and control wages. Many people's lives become affected due to poor conditions, leading to poverty, disease, and increased amounts of crime. The complete control over wages is due to the “Bank of the West” which owns the “Farmers’ Association” and “most of [the] valley” (Steinbeck 294). Steinbeck shows that the banking system controls the wages and the distribution of the land. He brings to attention the overwhelming power of the banks and how they are controlling the lives of both migrant workers and their employers (Steinbeck
Harvest Gypsies Analysis
599 Words | 3 PagesDuring the 1930’s thousands of Dust Bowl migrant workers made their way from the central plain into California seeking work. In their search for work and some form of income many of the migrants and their families ended up in Hoovervilles, which were makeshift roadside camps that were greatly impoverished. Steinbeck was able to travel through the labor camps and recorded the horrible living conditions of the migrant workers. The collection of these recordings was published as Harvest Gypsies. During the tours of the labor camps he saw the oppression of the workers first hand in addition to workers being demoralized by wealthy land owners.
How Does Steinbeck Use Foreshadowing In Of Mice And Men
932 Words | 4 PagesAfter reading the novel and watching the movie “Of Mice and Men”, I have learned about the lifestyle of migrant workers in California during the 1930s, which I did not know about before studying the novel. California back in the 1930s is very different from what I pictured it to be as the conditions of life weren’t that good. This is also the first novel that I have read in my years as a student that contains so much foreshadowing. Never before had I read a book where the author produced so much foreshadowing in such a short book. Steinbeck uses Lennie as a source of motivation and hope in achieving the dream farm that George, Candy, Crooks and Lennie himself desire.
Class Struggles In Under The Feet Of Jesus
526 Words | 3 PagesThrough the harvest, Viramontes also highlights the inherent class struggle within the lives of the farmworkers. The bountiful harvest represents the abundance that is amassed by landowners, while the farmworkers barely have enough to survive. This contrast between the wealth of landowners and poverty of farmworkers underscores the deep inequality portrayed by the capitalist system and serves as an example to help us understand the true struggle between
Grapes Of Wrath Literary Analysis
1639 Words | 7 PagesDuring the great depression, the midwest underwent a long drought. Exposed dry earth swept away with the wind and caused huge dust storms that prolonged the dry weather. With the lowered selling prices and the lack of crops the farmers had some major economic trouble. In Black Blizzard and John Steinbeck 's Grapes of Wrath, the literature develops the ideas of the poor distribution of wealth within the populations and the social aspects of people of different economic class. Social differences arise in the wealthy, the employed, and the unemployed throughout this period of hardship.
Examples Of Poverty In Cannery Row By John Steinbeck
937 Words | 4 PagesWith his novel located in the town of Monterey, California, Steinbeck unveils the hardships of the “wealthy” and the “poor” during this decade of despair. Through his characters and their struggles with homelessness, job hunting, suicide, and extreme depression, John Steinbeck paints a picture of rampant poverty through
The Strenuous Life Speech Analysis
1123 Words | 5 PagesIn The Harvest Gypsies, Steinbeck also describes decreasing morale in the displaced farmers as he says “the dullness shows in the faces…and in addition there is a sullenness that makes them taciturn.” The difficulty of finding adequate work to support a family during the Dust Bowl was extremely high—and as the work was competitive, these farmers implicated the work ethic that began at the beginning of the 20th
The Role Of Oppression In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath
168 Words | 1 PagesIn The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck follows the Joad family as they suffer the hardships caused by the Dust Bowl in the 1930’s. The most important lesson people can learn from the novel is the value of a human life. Although the 1930’s was a low point in American society, the ill-treatment of human beings is still relevant today. Just like Jim Casy’s philosophy, it is important to fight for the rights of the people and their dignity. There are several examples of oppression in The Grapes of wrath.
Community In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath
750 Words | 3 PagesJohn Steinbeck has been a pillar of American literature for decades. His work, especially Grapes of Wrath and The Harvest Gypsies, helped to shed light on some of the issues that plagued California, and the rest of the United States during the Great Depression. His works accentuate the theme of the importance of community, especially when those with the power to help don 't. These novels take place during the Great Depression, a time when there were very few jobs, little stability, widespread poverty, and diminished hopes for the future. This era sets the stage on which these stories take place. During these harsh times, many people turned to the government or banks for help, but they were turned down by the banks because they wanted a profit, or they bankrupted, and the government 's resources were stretched so low they could only help few people.
Allusions In The Grapes Of Wrath
961 Words | 4 PagesJohn Steinbeck, in the novel, Grapes of Wrath, identifies the hardships and struggle to portray the positive aspects of the human spirit amongst the struggle of the migrant farmers and the devastation of the Dust Bowl. Steinbeck supports his defense by providing the reader with imagery, symbolism and intense biblical allusions. The author’s purpose is to illustrate the migrant farmers in order to fully exploit their positive aspects in the midst of hardships. Steinbeck writes in a passionate tone for an audience that requires further understanding of the situation.
Grapes Of Wrath Rhetorical Analysis Essay
1177 Words | 5 PagesJohn Steinbeck has a style of writing unparalleled in history and in the modern world. In the same way, his philosophies are also unparalleled, with his focus in socialism not extending to communism or abnegation of spiritualism. His ideal world is utopian, holding the dust bowl migrant at the same level as the yeoman farmer was held in Jeffersonian times. In The Grapes of Wrath Steinbeck Steinbeck, who posses impregnable technique, conveys his message of a group working tirelessly for the betterment of the community.
Friendship In Of Mice And Men
715 Words | 3 PagesIn John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the era of the Great Depression in the 1930’s is revealed through a simple story of ranch workers who hope to improve their lives. Migrant workers, George and Lennie, have a friendship that is based on trust and protection. The other workers lack the companionship and bond that these two men have. In the novel, the absence and presence of friendship is the motivation for the characters’ actions.
Injustice In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath
550 Words | 3 PagesInjustices, tragedies, and unfortunate circumstances have plagued humankind for all of existence. Many of these problems have arisen from the society of man, and could not be found in nature. The hatred, selfishness, prejudice, and maliciousness seen in so many injustices man created unnecessarily, as well as all the suffering it causes does not need to exist. If an individual witnesses a crime or injustice occurring, it is their responsibility to defend the weak and fight for whatever is morally right, even at the cost of themselves.
The Grapes Of Wrath American Dream Analysis
487 Words | 2 PagesThe 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.
The Upper Class In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath
451 Words | 2 PagesGrapes of Wrath clearly illustrate the class struggle between workers and the upper class. Steinbeck displays the discrimination between the migrant people and landowners. Migrant workers are handled worse than animals, family’s or “Okies” are starving as food is wasted by the wealthy and the landowners maintain control through violence. “What do you want us to do? We can't take less share of the crop – we're half starved now.
How Does Steinbeck Present The American Dream In Of Mice And Men
1723 Words | 7 PagesThrough using the farm to represent the American Dream, Steinbeck brings forward issues from difficulties the mentally ill have to prejudices against African Americans. Lennie’s illness did not take away from his quality of work, but other men’s attitudes towards him made keeping a job more difficult, hindering his American Dream. Lennie and George’s previous job had been at Weed until Lennie had gotten into trouble.
More about The Social Inequality In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath
Harvest Gypsies Analysis
599 Words | 3 PagesHow Does Steinbeck Use Foreshadowing In Of Mice And Men
932 Words | 4 PagesClass Struggles In Under The Feet Of Jesus
526 Words | 3 PagesGrapes Of Wrath Literary Analysis
1639 Words | 7 PagesExamples Of Poverty In Cannery Row By John Steinbeck
937 Words | 4 PagesThe Strenuous Life Speech Analysis
1123 Words | 5 PagesThe Role Of Oppression In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath
168 Words | 1 PagesCommunity In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath
750 Words | 3 PagesAllusions In The Grapes Of Wrath
961 Words | 4 PagesGrapes Of Wrath Rhetorical Analysis Essay
1177 Words | 5 PagesFriendship In Of Mice And Men
715 Words | 3 PagesInjustice In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath
550 Words | 3 PagesThe Grapes Of Wrath American Dream Analysis
487 Words | 2 PagesThe Upper Class In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath
451 Words | 2 PagesHow Does Steinbeck Present The American Dream In Of Mice And Men
1723 Words | 7 Pages