The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, shows a whole family and their struggles. The grapes of Wrath is modeled after a biblical reference to the Israelites, gods chosen people. They also left their land, Egypt, and wandered into the desert for many years,searching in vain for a promised land, the land of milk and honey. A lot like the Israelites, many farmers in the middle of the country began migrating to California. The Joads I believe had no choice but to leave the dust bowl to find work. They also had to cross the desert and lost the life of Grandma Joad in the process.
During the depression the Joads farm was foreclosed. Them and all around them were driven from their land. The depression caused all to be extremely poor. If this hadnt been the case the migrants would have all made it to the west coast a lot easier. The country set itself up during the depression in a way that caused only a vicious circle. The country was in a rut and held itself there. Steinbeck was trying to capture an average depression swept family. In this search he created the Joads. Banks began to foreclose on farms and people became homeless.
The losses of everything they owned caused people to have no choice. The only way was to leave. They were driven from their land. A difficult struggle lied ahead for the people. They left with everything they owned. There was so little, they strapped it onto, usually to a rundown old pick-up truck. With Steinbeck trying to show the real life issues intermitanly introduced all the political aspects and outlooks of the depression. He would, in odd chapters, show the aspects that lay for everyone, not just the Joads.
Stein beck often showed the prejudice and hatred for the migrants. Somewhere around the middle of the book an okie family stops at a roadside 66 truck stop. They are hoping to buy some bread with the mere money they have rationed. The waitress is very bitter and tries to get rid of the man. She turns down his needs for a half a loaf of bread. her boss turns and reprimands her. The man is sold a small amount of bread for his money. The man turns to see his little boys gazing at the candy case. It eats at his stomach to know that he cant afford to buy his boys candy.
The man timidly asks if t! he candy is penny candy. The waitress replies no. The man aches. The waitress turns and states that its two for a penny. Smiling as they head down the road the waitress feels good about herself as the candies were a nickel a piece. The depression and all the migrant brought a lot of spite and anger. But in a few cases it also caused people to draw up a kinder side of the waitress Mae, was shown by Steinbeck. Probably the biggest act of kindness Steinbeck shows is in the end of the novel.
The biggest symbols found by myself lead to the loss. Rose of Sharon Joad loses her baby before she delivers. Afterwards, as were very familiar with comes great flooding. This is where Steinbeck shows the coming generosity. Rose of Sharon breast feeds a starving stranger, saving a life. The effect on people because of the depression is shown by Steinbeck. He shows the kindness and the bitterness that came to our country. The effect comes from death and poverty just the same as any time period but the cause was much stronger- the depression.
