GRAPES OF WRATH IMPORTANT ELEMENTS

GENRE SOCIOLOGICAL NOVEL SOCIAL FICTION REALISTIC FICTION HISTORICAL FICTION EPIC

What are the characteristics of an epic? Is typically complex and lengthy Covers many years and has multiple settings Often contains gods and goddesses Usually based in part on historical fact Teaches moral lessons THE ODYSSEY, HARRY POTTER, LORD OF THE RINGS

Levels of meaning Level One: one family’s struggle for survival (narrative chapters) Level Two: the story of a group’s (the migrants) struggle for survival (intercalary chapters) Level Three: the story of a nation (America) as it struggles to define its identity in a capitalist system.

Con’t Level Four: Moral – Philosophical Meanings – how are right and wrong / good and evil determined? Level Five: Ontological (existence/being) Questions – what duty do I owe my fellow man? What is our relationship with the earth? Why are we here? Purpose and meaning in life

STRUCTURE CHAPTERS ON JOADS (usually even) INTERCHAPTERS/INTERCALARY (usually odd) *MOVES FROM SPECIFIC TO GENERAL *PROVIDES BACKGROUND INFORMATION *SHOWS THAT JOADS NOT ALONE THREE PRIMARY DIVISIONS

POINT OF VIEW THIRD Limited omniscient

BIBLICAL SYMBOLS 12 JOADS = 12 DISCIPLES BABY = MOSES JOADS = ISRAELITES GRAMPA’S DEATH = LOT’S WIFE 3 SECTIONS = ISRAELITES SNAKE LAWS = COMMANDMENTS JIM CASY = JESUS CHRIST (JC) “YOU FELLAS DON’ KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOIN” (495), WILDERNESS, KILLED

SETTING WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WEEDPATCH AND THE HOOVERVILLES? OKLAHOMA – HOOVERVILLES– WEEDPATCH– HOOPER RANCH – BOXCARS GREAT DEPRESSION IN THE 1930s

BIBLICAL VERSES ISAIAH 63:4-6 DEUTERONOMY 32:32 JEREMIAH 31:29 ECCLESIASTES 4:9-10

MAIN SYMBOLS TURTLE (CH. 3) -- ALLEGORY CHARACTER NAMES DUST TRACTOR (CH. 5) WILLOW TREE TRUCK JOADS

TOM JOAD’S INITIAL CHARACTER WANTS TO BE A LONER UNINTERESTED IN RELIGION ANXIOUS TO FIND WORK TAKES LIFE ONE DAY AT A TIME ACCEPTS SOCIETY’S ORGANIZATION CONCERNED FOR FAMILY

FORCES OF CHANGE (CATALYSTS) FOR TOM SEES NEED TO UNITE HEARS CASY’S VIEWS LISTENS TO CASY HEARS STRIKERS’ VIEWS LEARNS BENEFITS OF COMMUNAL CAMP SEES MISERY

TOM’S CHARACTER CHANGE DESIRES KINSHIP ACCEPTS THE GOOD OF HUMANITY AS GODLIKE KNOWS A GREATER NEED COMMITS SELF TO CAUSE REALIZES NEED FOR SOCIETAL CHANGES CONCERNED FOR MANKIND

VERISIMILITUDE DEFINITION HOW DOES STEINBECK CREATE VERISIMILITUDE IN THIS NOVEL?

TITLE 113 365 449 “BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC”

WOMEN’S ROLES MA SEEN AS A WOMAN AHEAD OF HER TIME WOMEN WATCHING MEN (“The men were silent and they did not move often. And the women came out of the houses to stand beside their men—to feel whether this time the men would break.” )

THEMES People can overcome struggles when they are unified. Having hope and faith can bring one through the darkest and most problematic times in ones life. Family and family values can give order in the most hectic times. Change is not always positive if individual people are not considered.

QUOTATIONS Page 536 Page 537. Page 535. Page 249. Page 305. Page 187.

BOOK- A -MINUTE SUMMARY Tom Joad Our farm has been taken away. Let's go to California. (They do. On the way, there are calamities, and people DIE, because this is the Great Depression when times were HARD, and it was a struggle just to hold on to one's DIGNITY.)