Grapes of wrath 5
Grapes of wrath 5The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, is a novel about the Dust Bowl migration. It is the story of one Oklahoma farm family, the Joads, and it is also the story of thousands of similar men and women. The Joads are forced off their land, so they move West to California. When they reach California, they are faced with the harsh reality that it is no the Promised Land. Steinbeck's purpose in writing The Grapes of Wrath was to inform the public of the migrants' plight hoping that it would cause social change. Steinbeck employs the theme of the rich versus the poor to accomplish his purpose. It is a classic conflict between good, portrayed by the poor, and evil, portrayed by the rich.
Throughout the book, a turtle appears and reappears several times. As John Bloom notes, "The turtle itself becomes a symbol for the poor Okies"(Bloom 13). The turtle sets up a parallel between his journey and the journey of the Joads. A connection is made between the Okies struggle and the naturalistic struggle to survive. The turtle symbolizes the persistence neccessary for good to prevail over evil. The turtle overcame every obstacle that he faces. As the turtle is walking down the highway, a truck approached him. The driver saw the turle, and deliberately swerved to hit him. The driver of the truck symbolizes the owners, who deliberately try to strike down the migrants. The turtle continues steadily on westerly; the same direction of the migrant people.
Good is personified by the poor people. When Ma Joad was talking to the storekeeper who had lent her money she said "If you're in trouble or hurt or need-go to poor people. They're the only ones that'll help-the only ones" (Steinbeck 514). It is ironic in order to get something someone should go to the people who have nothing. Examples of the poor helping the poor are prevalent throughout the book. The worker at the dump gives the Joads parts for discounted prices, the waiter at the restaurant sells the bread and candy at discounts, the truck drivers leave them large tips, Ma gives the hungry children stew, and the Joads help the less fortunate Wilsons. All these are examples of poor who have nothing...
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