The book is a story of the Joad family, and their trip to California. It tells of the migration of thousands of homeless families from Oklahoma to California. It follows the Joad family, who, evicted from the land by the bank decide to head for the ‘Golden West’ to a land of plenty. When there they encounter poverty and oppression. The book stirs emotion from deep within. It shows the strength of the human spirit under stress and the dreadful conditions the Joad family suffered. The Joad family began with Ma, Pa, Granpa, Granma, Tom, Al, Ruthie, Connie, Rose of Sharon, Winfield, Uncle John and Casey a former preacher. Whilst on the road they meet the Wilsons who let the Joad’s use their tent when Granpa was dying. Many other characters drift in and out during the unfolding story. The character of Tom Joad is the most interesting. Tom is the oldest child and a paroled convict. He was sent to Pentridge when during a drunken fight he hit a neighbor’s son over the head with a shovel killing him in the process. On release he hitches back to his parents’ farm and on arrival finds the shocking truth – it is deserted with the doors ripped off. He finds out from a neighbor who is living off the land while hiding from the bank that, his family and many others were evicted from the land by the bank.
He then walks to his uncle John’s whereupon he finds his family loading up the truck to head for California. He is invaluable to his family, using the skills he learnt in prison – car repair, reading and writing. He keeps the whole family moving at times. His younger brother Al who thinks he is god reveres him. A theme that comes through strongly is that a family is a family and should never be broken up either willingly or unwillingly. This can be seen in many places throughout the book. When they are about to leave Ma has still not heard from Tom whom she believes is still in Pentridge. She is worried and doesn’t want to leave. She is extremely relieved when he arrives even if it is unannounced. Unemployment is another major theme through the book. The Joad family head west to California to find work but the dreams do not materialize and they remain jobless and with little money. The biggest theme through the book is money. Every time the family need food, petrol, or car repairs they need money. It is a constant specter haunting their heads every day especially on the trip west. They did not know whether they had enough money to actually arrive in California.
The Essay on Rose Of Sharon Tom Family Joads
The Joad family is forced to move to California because of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl, which has made it impossible for them to earn a livelihood through farming. Drought and depression has made it impossible for farmers to grow a substantial amount to live on. As inflation rises and wages drop, a gigantic worker migration heads West in search of Jobs. They have seen notices asking for workers in the ...
The Grapes of Wrath is realist fiction novel. The author has gone to great lengths in his thick description and inventive but realistic dialogue. This included with the very realistic themes makes good reading. John Steinback shows his disapproval of the bankrupt socio-political and economic system that led to the Great Depression of the 1930’s that is so well depicted in this book. This novel is as much an insight into the harsh conditions endured by many out of work families in the Great Depression as an entertaining read. The book is not easy to read and at times is slow but in the end the result is an entertaining and touching novel. The powerfully thick description allowed me to picture the book in my mind’s eye. That always helps me when reading. Overall it was a novel worthy of the Pulitzer Prize it won. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinback, there are many examples of togetherness and guidance. There is a small amount of individualism in the story, but there is more acts of kindness and warmth, than any displays of independence. The Joad family acts as a whole unit instead of many individuals. They help and assist others in need, even though they are in need as well.
They would rather suffer themselves than for someone else to undergo suffering and endless pain. They would give up anything they have for someone to be happy and at peace. The Joad family is very loving, helpful, and does not show any signs of selfishness or greed. While the Joad family is on their journey to the west, they do not have much food or money, but they still did anything to help others out. For example, one day they saw another family on the side of the road and stopped to help them. They ended up taking the family and making an even larger family unit by combining the families. Each member associated and talked to one other, which made the time they were all together pleasant and helpful. They all used each other’s knowledge to help them along with their journey. Even though both families had never met during their life, they came together and helped each other out in times of need. Another genuine characteristic of the Joad family, is their sense of putting themselves in danger before others. A family member would rather be hurt or in danger themselves, than for their loved ones to be in trouble. An example of this trait is when Ma rebels once Tom and Casy said they’d stay and let the family go on.
The Essay on Concept Of Family Joad Man One
The Changing Concept of Family in The Grapes of Wrath Throughout the book, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, the physical transition of the Joad family from a small close-knit group of people living a quiet life on a farm in Oklahoma, corresponds with the internal transition of the concept of family. As the Joads leave their farm and journey westward, they no longer live just within their own ...
She said that if she went, then they would have to beat her to go, because she was not going to let the family split apart. This shows her great concern for the family to stay together and how she will inflict pain upon herself in order for happiness. Throughout the journey, they find out they do not have enough money or food and times are really tough for them. However, they are still very giving people and has a desire to help the strangers that accompanied them along the trip. Once the Wilson’s depart from the Joad family to go their own way along the trail, they offer to give them some money and food. However, the Wilson’s said they could not accept it, even though they were in desperate need. They knew the Joad’s did not have much money as well and did not want to take it from their family. Even after this, Ma and Pa Joad laid out two dollars and some pork for the Wilson’s. This shows that the Joad’s are willing to give up what they have for someone else. Even if it means they have to starve, it does not bother them and they will go out of their way to assist others in need. In this story, the Joad family was very polite and helpful to others. Even though they did not have much money or food, they definitely had a sense of helpfulness and genuine caring for others.
The Essay on Our Earth
Our earth is made up 78 percent of water, and rest of it is land. Because of this, there is ample number of living organisms in land as well as water. It has plains, plateaus, mountains, valleys, deserts, forests, grasslands, oceans, seas, rivers, lakes etc. As there are various kinds of regions on earth, every region has its own kind of wild life as well as plant life. Earth has undergone a ...
They helped the Wilson family, who was in need of guidance, by traveling along with them and giving them food and money. The Joad’s also put others before themselves and tried the best they could to assist their friends who were once strangers. All of these examples of aide are strong evidence that this book is not about individualism, but the simple act of being there for others. John Steinbeck?s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, is a story that takes place during America?s dreadful period of depression. Due to misunderstanding the nature of the entire situation, Steinbeck writes this novel to shine some light on the people about the great migration westward. This novel portrays the life of the Joad family who go through the harsh struggles of poverty and migration. They are forced to leave their drought stricken land in Oklahoma, hoping to find work in California, which to them is the land of opportunity, but soon they find out the horrors behind the picturesque mask. In their quest to reach the promise land, the women play a very special role in which they are distinct and contribute something to the Joad family and to the world. The most authoritative figure is Ma Joad. She is a very strong southern woman whom the whole family looks upon for support. Ma is a lady who is both strong mentally and physically. Her understanding is acknowledged by the rest of the family to be supreme. Of her emotional strength Tom says. “Her hazel eyes seemed to know, to accept, to welcome her position, the citadel of the family, the strong place that could not be taken.” (95) The family felt what Ma felt and let her emotions be in control. “And since, when a joyful thing happened, they looked to see whether joy was on her.” (95) Because of this she kept strong. She always wants happiness for everyone in the family, that?s why she stays strong. Ma knew that if she were to weak the whole family would fall apart.
She realizes that they have no home and that the only value and meaning in life is that which they derive from being a family. She keeps the two cars together so they will not be separated and she forces decisions to be made for the benefit of the family. She understands the inner need of each individual member. Ma is to the family as pillars are to a building; if the pillar is weak, the building will soon collapse when anything afflicts it. Even until the end the whole family eventually does fall apart, she still stays strong. It is not because of her weakness that the family falls apart, it is because she allows them to live their own lives according to the way they want to and does not restrict them. Grandma is very religious. Her religion is a strange one where one comes to think that it is only to annoy Grandpa. Grandma and Grandpa Joad are depicted as a delightful couple. They seem to thrive on quarreling and fighting and competing. There is a strong attraction between them, but neither would admit it. At the time of Grandpa?s death, her religion is characterized by the phrase when Casy won?t pray and says to him, “Pray goddamm you, pray.” She seemed to take her strength from arguing and competing with Grandpa, so she does not live long after Grandpa?s death.
The Term Paper on Catcher In The Rye Holden Life People
Part one: 1. Holden s Hunting cap: His hat is something that makes him stand out from the crowd and society. To Holden, wearing his hat says that he s not going to be like all the rest of the phonies. It s also something that he really likes and he constantly talks about it being different. On page 22 he refers to his hat as a people shooting hat, meaning he shoots people down when he wears it ...
In the beginning of the novel, Rose of Sharon, is searching for romance and beauty in life, although she is sick most of the time. During her pregnancy, she got very irritable. Because of the unfortunate birth of a “little blue mummy” due to undernourishment, she realizes the fullness of life. In the end, she is seen giving life to a starving man. This was her first action in which she is not concerned about herself. The contributions of the Joad women towards the family and the world is appreciated greatly. Each of them contributed differently and they were all looked upon for answers. They were all struggling to live in an ever changing world. These contributions make them the extraordinary people that they are. “Fear the time when Manself will not suffer and die for a concept, for this one quality is the foundation of Manself, and this one quality is man, distinctive in the universe. 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 lived. The novel tells of one family’s migration west to California through the great economic depression of the 1930’s.
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, and how they survive the cruelty of the landowners that took advantage of them, their poverty, and willingness to work. In The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck connects man and earth through three examples: the small farmer?s need for earth, big corporation?s need for earth, and the earth?s weather accomping the migrants. The Joad family and other small farmers need the earth for nourishment. The earth provides a means of survival. Through their blood, sweat, and tears, the Joads provided their own family?s wealth. They had a better understanding of the earth because all their effort was poured into it. They loved, hated, and cherished the earth. The connection was strong because the earth was part of them, one of the family. This is why it is so difficult to leave their land when forced off. The Joads know it is their land and no one has the right to take what they own. Another small farmer along with the Joads is Muley Graves; Muley refuses to be driven off his land. Muley hides away from the police after his farm is taken away.
The Essay on Del Castillo Garcia Life People Cesar
Migrant workers went through a lot of struggles. They went through life and death situations, prejudice, and one of the most important things of all they had to keep their family and people together and keep believing that they would make it to a better life. The things they go through while immigrating change their views on life forever. Some for the good some for the bad." They said, these god ...
Muley represents an unbelievable strong connection with the earth. He?d rather live like a sneaky spy and give up his family than he breaks his connection with the earth. The big coroporations need the earth for profits. The first example is the bank. Contrary to the small farmer, the bank?s connection to the earth is extremely weak. The bank is distant from the earth in coroporate offices. It?s connection to the earth is through the small farmer, who works on the earth while the bank owns it. “Big money makes the big decisions” ?De La Soul. The bank forces the people off of the earth when profits run low. These superficial ideals are the cause of the fragile connection between the bank and the earth. The second example is the land owners in California. The owners manipulate the earth for profit. They drive off small farmers who cannot afford to harvest his crop. Like the banks, the owners connection to the earth is also frail; due to the fact that the owners hire chemists and other workers to make his land more profitable. The migrants are underpaid and treated unfarily because the land owners only care about materialistic profits. Steinbeck depicts the earth?s weather in the first and last commentary chapters.
The Essay on Family Structure Love Children Life
The Importance of Family Structure A major responsibility for people who are soon to have families is to make sure that their children have the right tools to lead the world when they are old. Basic actions such as love, discipline, nurturing, affection, morals, and values are necessary to create a strong family structure. In order to be successful in the world today, it is important to have a ...
The opening chapter paints a vivid picture of the situation facing the drought-stricken farmers of Oklahoma. Dust is described as covering everything, smothering the life out of anything that wants to grow. The dust is symbolic of the erosion of the lives of the people. The dust is synonymous with “deadness”. The land is a ruined way of life (farming), people uprooted and forced to leave. Secondly, the dust stands for profiteering banks in the background that squeeze the life out the land by forcing the people off the land. The soil, the people (farmers) have been drained of life and are exploited. The rains that come at the end of the novel symbolize several things. Rain, in that it 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 gives 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.
In opposite ways rain can be 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 either extremes bad or good depending on his choosing. Steinbeck is portraying dissatisfaction for the huge corporations, and their corruption for materialistic entities. The reader can?t help but feel the sympathy for the small farmers forced into poverty by the large business. This is still true in the current society. For example, Bill Gate?s Microsoft multi-billion dollar company placing a monopoly on smaller, less-profitable companies. One has to feel a bit of remorse for the “little guy”, and a sense of disapproval for Microsoft and its unlawful tactics. In the 1930s and in the current society, money rules the world. Although this may seem to be a hanus thought, it is the realistic truth. Unfortunately people have evolved into believing that materialistic possessions are the heart of success. Steinbeck tries to reveal that this couldn?t be further from the truth. Will society ever realize that these superficial things don?t control one?s life? No, because that would ask for people to give up their prized possessions, and return to the simplicities of life, a task to difficult for man today.
E-mail: [email protected] As the novel The Grapes of Wrath progresses, the Joads progress from a concern only for themselves and their own personal welfare to a concern for all the people in the world. This is accompanied by the disintergration of the smaller family unit which is replaced by the larger world family of the migrant people. This shift from individual thinking to wide spread thinking is most directly seen in the actions of Tom Joad. When we first see him at the beginning of the novel he is mainly concerned for his own welfare. He wants to make up for all the things he missed when in prison. Later on in the novel he is more concerned with the welfare of the family. When we last see him he has shifted to trying to do what is best for all the migrant people by trying to organize them into striking That shift in thinking is also accompanied with the replacement of the individual family by the world family. The thing that started the breakup of the individual family was the loss of their land. The family had lived there for many generations and had strong ties to the land. Getting thrown off the land was sort of like losing their family history. This is shown by the things that Ma Joad burns before they left.
Next Grampa Joad died because he couldn’t take leaving his home. He is the first family member to leave the family. At the same time though, the joining with the Wilsons shows that the individual family is being replaced by the larger world family of the migrant society. Chapter seventeen is one of the general chapters that shows the growth of the new migrant society that has it’s own laws and leaders. At the boarder of California, they loose Noah when he refuses to leave the river, and have to leave the Wilsons behind because of Sairy’s illness. Then Granma dies on the way across the desert. The Joads have to leave her for a pauper’s burial. This shows the disintergration of the families standards. Previous to this the Joads had always paid their own way and never asked for charity. In chapter twenty the family looses both Connie and Casy. The growth of the world family is shown when Ma shares her food with the other people’s children. When they get to the government camp, there is a brief respite from the breakup of the family. They are finally getting treated like humans again. Towards the end of the novel the family disintergrates more with the loss of Tom and engagement of Al. Now Ma realizes that the family doesn’t come first anymore when she said to Mrs. Wainwright that the family used to come first but now it’s just anyone who needs help.
