The Grapes of Wrath By: John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck- Feb 27,1902-Dec 20, 1968 Born in Salinas, California, where many of his stories gathered inspiration. He read the Bible often, which also became an important influence on the style and themes of his fiction. Attended Stanford University, but never earned a degree. In 1925 he went to New York, where he tried for a few years to establish himself as a free-lance writer, but failed.

In 1935, had a major turning point in his literary career In 1935, had a major turning point in his literary career. Tortilla Flat was published and received California Commonwealth Club's Gold Medal for best novel by a California author. Steinbeck's novels can all be classified as social novels dealing with the economic problems of rural labor, but there is also a streak of respect for the soil in his books.

Steinbeck continued writing, relying upon extensive research and his personal observation of the human condition for his stories. Steinbeck traveled around California migrant camps in 1936. The Grapes of Wrath was written in 1939 and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1940 and a National Book Award. Steinbeck drew his inspiration from this land and became known throughout the world, receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.

Writing Style Steinbeck tracks the Joad family with long narrative chapters but alternates these sections with short, lyrical vignettes, capturing the westward movement of migrant farmers in the 1930’s as they flee drought and industry. The structure of the novel reflects this dual commitment. This structure enables Steinbeck to use many different writing styles. The short (usually odd-numbered) chapters use highly stylized, poetic language to explore the social, economic, and historical factors that forced the great migration. The narrative shifts dramatically between different points of view. In some chapters the narrator describes events broadly, summarizing the experiences of a large number of people and providing historical analysis. Frequently, in the same chapters, the narrator assumes the voice of a typical individual, such as a displaced farmer or a crooked used-car salesman, expressing that person’s individual concerns.

Writing Style The chapters focusing on the Joad family are narrated primarily from an objective point of view, representing conversations and interactions without focusing on any particular character. Here, the characters’ actions are presented as an observer might witness them, without directly representing the characters’ thoughts and motivations. At certain points, however, the narrator shifts and presents the Joads from an omniscient point of view, explaining their psychologies, characters, and motivations in intimate detail. Steinbeck’s first description of the land is almost biblical in its simplicity, grandeur, and repetition.

Themes: What would you list as themes of the novel after watching the movie? Brainstorm with a partner for two themes you would claim to be in the novel. Remember that themes are usually the author’s universal statement about an issue relating to humankind.

Man’s inhumanity to man: Steinbeck consistently and woefully points to the fact that the migrants’ suffering is caused, not by bad weather or mere misfortune, but by their fellow human beings. Historical, social, and economic circumstances separate people into rich and poor, and landowner and tenant; the people in the dominant roles struggle viciously to preserve their positions. The novel draws a simple line through the population; one that divides the privileged from the poor, and identifies that division as the source of evil and suffering in the world.

Decline of family for rise of community: Two families depicted, the Joad family and the fellow migrant workers. Although Ma Joad tries holding the family together, the text argues that blood isn’t a necessity for family, but loyalty and commitment to one another establishes kinship. “Twenty families became one family; the children were the children of all. The loss of home became one loss, and the golden time in the West was one dream.”

The dignity of wrath: After all of the hardships the Joads encounter, the family is never once broken. They suffer losses of members in their family, they have neither food nor work, but still rise above it with kindness and generosity.

What does the title mean?

References to title Reference to the Battle Hymn of the Republic by Julia Ward Howe “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord, He has trampled out the vintage where the Grapes of Wrath are stored, He has loosed the fateful lighting of his terrible swift sword His Truth is marching on” phrase originally comes from the Book of Revelation “And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God”

Meaning of title The grapes first represent the promise of fertile California valleys. Later the grapes become a sign of bitter rage as the migrants realize they have been lured out west with false bait of receiving jobs. The migrants’ rage develops into wrath which leads to action and the Joad family prevailing.

Symbols: Rose of Sharon’s pregnancy Name comes from the Song of Solomon which is frequently interpreted as referring to Christ. holds the promise of a new beginning. When the baby is delivered stillborn, the promise seems broken. But rather than slipping into despair, the family moves boldly and gracefully forward, and the novel ends on a surprising note of hope. The way Uncle John disposes of her stillborn child recalls Moses being sent down the Nile. The image suggests that the family, like the Hebrews in Egypt will be delivered from the slavery of its present circumstances.

Symbols: Dust The dust can’t be avoided, only dealt with. During the first portion of the book, the dust symbolizes the vast, widespread, seemingly unstoppable force that is changing the lives of farmers and their families forever.

Symbols: The Turtle symbolizes the struggle of mankind to survive; it faces obstacles along its way, but keeps going on toward its destination. The dangers given to the turtle are modernity and business. The intrusion of cars on the highway endanger the turtle; the turtle has a slow, but in the end, successful journey. The Joads face numerous obstacles along their way but they never give up and continue on with their journey.

Symbols: Death of the Joad’s dog When the Joads stop for gas, at the beginning of their journey, their dog is hit by a car and left for dead in the middle of the road. This death symbolizes the many tragedies that await the family

Symbols: Rain In the beginning of the novel there is an absence of rain, but towards the end there is an over abundance. Rain creates new growth and helps to bring about new life. Rain symbolizes the Joad’s growth by the end of novel and how far they have come on their journey.

Symbols: Jim Casy Initials of Jesus Christ Like Jesus he was an inherent preacher who rebelled against traditional religion, went into the wilderness, discovered his own gospel, and eventually gave his life in service to others. Began to fight against the inequalities facing the migrant people. He takes the blame for Tom’s assault which shows sacrificing himself for other humans, just as Jesus sacrificed Himself for the sin of all people.

Language Biblical Allusions The cadences, repetitions, and parallel lines all echo the patterns of the Psalms, which is also Ma Joad’s favorite book. The language and rhythms are reminiscent of the syntactical structures of the King James Bible. The three main parts that correspond with the Israelites and their Exodus

Drought and erosion in Oklahoma are parallel to oppression of the Israelites in Egypt. Those suffering from the Dust Bowl are seen as God’s chosen people or the Jews. Just as the plagues release the Israelites from Egypt, the Dust Bowl enables the Joads and other migrants to leave Okalahoma Tom Joad A type of Moses who will lead his people to a better future, away from oppressions. Begins to fight for justice for the migrant workers

Migration of the Joads towards California is parallel to the Exodus. California is seen as the Promised Land to the migrants, just as Canaan was the Promised Land for the Israelites. Like the Israelites, the Joads, must cross and wander through a desert to reach the land where everything will be better.

Arrival in California is parallel to the Israelites’ arrival in the Promised Land. The Joads must cross over a river in order to enter California just as the Israelites had to cross over the Red Sea to escape oppression. Although the Promised Land is reached, the migrants and Israelites must fight and once against struggle to acquire the better lives they deserve.

Thanks! Mrs. Ma thanks her former students who did presentations on GOW which were combined throughout the years to create this PPT. 