The Grapes of Wrath Helen Burkett Lauraleigh Shealey

The American Dream First used by James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic of America which was written in "The American Dream is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position."

The Great Depression

Connection to Sociology Steinbeck’s novel is about poverty & its direct correlation to humanity – How people are treated – How they treat others – How it changes their way of thinking C. Wright Mills – When only one man is unemployed, that is his personal trouble…a nation of 15 million unemployed, that is an issue… Social Stratification – This brought the rich & poor closer together, as opposed to separating them

C. Wright Mills An adaptation of C. Wright Mills’ quote: “When a depression happens, the insurance salesman becomes a migrant, a wife becomes the head of the household, and the child grows up hungry...”

Impact on the Midwest "And then the dispossessed were drawn west- from Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico; from Nevada and Arkansas, families, tribes, dusted out, tractored out. Car-loads, caravans, homeless and hungry; twenty thousand and fifty thousand and a hundred thousand and two hundred thousand. They streamed over the mountains, hungry and restless - restless as ants, scurrying to find work to do - to lift, to push, to pull, to pick, to cut - anything, any burden to bear, for food. The kidsdust3.gif (44737 bytes) are hungry. We got no place to live. Like ants scurrying for work, for food, and most of all for land." Steinbeck, Grapes of Wrath

Tom Joad Symbolizes the unrest of migrants due to unfairness in treatment He fears that by putting his life in a context larger than the present day, he will drive himself mad with anger and helplessness. “I'll be all around in the dark - I'll be everywhere. Wherever you can look - wherever there's a fight, so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there. I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad. I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry and they know supper's ready, and when the people are eatin' the stuff they raise and livin' in the houses they build - I'll be there, too.” (Ch. 28)

Pa & Ma Fear of inability to provide/to be a “man” The world he knows is changed by Ma Joad’s growing assertiveness Need to indulge herself in religion Defies gender expectations Care for all of the people Allows readers to learn the right use of anger to change society

Grandma & Grandpa Their fate is tied to the land—when their land is taken away from them they lose hope. They do not live to see the Promised Land Optimistic yet psychologically unable to leave homestead

Rose of Sharon Wife of Connie Rivers, expecting a child throughout most of the book Symbol of prosperity & hope Dreams are dashed due to position of being a migrant—realizes she is just another part of humanity Gives birth to a stillborn child that represents everything else that has been lost

Uncle John Ragged with guilt over delivery of his son Doesn’t care about status as a migrant Only one not able to accept his life as it is – Loss of his wife – Crippled son – Punishes himself through alcohol & depression Finds solace in drinking

Noah Joad & Connie Rivers Both symbols of psychoanalysis Failure too much; allows them to run from responsibility

Winfield & Ruthie Children refugees Suffer the most due to a lack of education & nutrition

Al The only one who is young enough not to care about the status Finds a way to occupy himself (girls)

Jim Casey Former Holiness Preacher who helps Tom to see inequality Believes in the universality of the human spirit Starts the strike His death is what causes Tom Joad to take up the cause for economic & social justice