The Grapes Of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath
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 economic depression of the 1930's. The Joad family had to
abandon their home and their livelihoods. They had to uproot and set adrift because tractors were rapidly
industrializing their farms. The bank took possession of their land because the owners could not pay off
their loan. The novel shows how the Joad family deals with moving to California. How they survive the
cruelty of the land owners that take advantage of them, their poverty and willingness to work.
The Grapes of Wrath combines Steinbeck adoration of the land, his simple hatred of corruption
resulting from materialism (money) and his abiding faith in the common people to overcome the hostile
environment. The novel opens with a retaining picture of nature on rampage. The novel shows the men
and women that are unbroken by nature. The theme is one of man verses a hostile environment. His body
destroyed but his spirit is not broken. The method used to develop the theme of the novel is through the
use of symbolism. There are several uses of symbols in the novel from the turtle at the beginning to the rain
at the end. As each symbol is presented through the novel they show examples of the good and the bad
things that exist...

The Grapes Of Wrath

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