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 sevestronger, uprooting the 
weakened corn, and the air became so filled with dust that the stars 
were not visible at night. (Chp 1)
	
	As the chapter continues a turtle, which appears and reappears several 
times early in the novel, can be seen to stand for survival, a driving 
life force in all of mankind that cannot be beaten by nature or man.  
The turtle represents a hope that the trip to the west is survivable by 
the farmer migrants (Joad family).  The turtle further represents the 
migrants struggles against nature/man by overcoming every obstacle he 
encounters: the red ant in his path, the truck driver who tries to run 
over him, being captured in Tom Joad's jacket: And now a light truck 
approached, and as it came near, the driver saw the turtle and swerved 
to hit it.  The driver of the truck works for a large company, who try 
to stop the migrants from going west, when the driver attempts to hit 
the turtle it 
is another example of the big powerful guy trying to flatten or kill the 
little guy. Everything the turtle encounters trys its best to stop the 
turtle from making its westerly journey.  Steadily the turtle advances 
on, ironically to the southwest, the direction of the mirgration of 
people.  The turtle is described as being lasting, ancient, old and 
wise: horny head, yellowed toenails, indestructible high dome of a 
shell, humorous old eyes.  (Chp 1)The driver of the truckow is described 
as being unmovable and never bending to the wind or dust.  The Joad 
family does not want to move, they prefer to stay on the land they grew 
up on, much the same as the willow does. The willow contributes to the 
theme by showing the unwillingness of the people to be removed from 
their land by the banks. The latter represents the force making them 
leave their homes. Both of these symbols help contribute to the theme by 
showing a struggle between each other.  The tree struggles against 
nature in much the same way that the Joad family struggles against the 
Bank and large companies.	
	The rains that comes at the end of the novel symbolize several things. 
Rain in which is excessive, in a certain way fulfills a cycle of the 
dust which is also excessive.  In a way nature has restored a balance 
and has initiated a new growth cycle.  This ties in with other examples 
of the rebirth idea in the ending, much in the way the Joad family will 
grow again.  The rain contributes to the theme by showing the cycle of 
nature that give a conclusion to the novel by showing that life is a 
pattern of birth and death.  The rain is another example of nature 
against man, the rain comes and floods the living quarters of the Joads.  
The Joads try to stop the flood of their home by yet again are forced 
back when nature drops a tree causing a flood of water to ruin their 
home forcing them to move.  In opposite way rain can helpful to give 
life to plants that need it to live.  Depending on which extreme the 
rain is in, it can be harmful or helpful. This is true for man, man can 
become both extremes bad or good depending on his choosing.
	
	Throughout the novel there are several symbols used to develop the 
theme man verses a hostile environment.   Each symbol used in the novel 
show examples of both extremes.  Some represent man, that struggles 
against the environment, others paint a clear picture of the feelings of 
the migrants.  As each symbol is presented chronologically through the 
novel, they come together at the end to paint a clear picture of the 
conditions, treatment and feelings the people (migrants) as they make 
there journey through the novel to the West.