Grapes Of Wrath Analysis

978 Words4 Pages
The Grapes of Wrath, a novel written in 1938 by John Steinbeck, follows the story of the Joad family. The Joad family is kicked off of their land by the bank and is forced to move from Oklahoma to California in hopes of finding new jobs. The Joads go through many trials and tribulations along their long, draining journey. From the deaths of loved ones to finding new companions, they go through it all. Once they arrive in California, they face many hardships. The Joad family realizes that being a migrant farmworker in their day and age is not an easy job, as they face several gruesome encounters. When they first arrived to California, the Joads stopped at a camp, a dirty Hooverville of tents and makeshift shelters. Right off the bat, the family encounters their first problem. The previous…show more content…
Tom Joad trips a deputy because he shoots a woman. Jim Casy, an old preacher friend who travels with the Joads, kicks the deputy and he loses consciousness. Casy takes Tom's place as the scapegoat for the crime, sacrificing himself to save Tom. To avoid any further trouble and ward off unwanted attention, the Joad family leaves immediately. They travel south to a government-run camp in Weedpatch. The Joads are comfortable and after some time they are still unable to find any work and realize it is time for them to move on again. This time, they find work in Tulare picking peaches. After being escorted by state police, the Joads begin to work immediately. They are paid five cents per box which was not enough to feed the family a days worth of meals. After the first day of picking, Tom meets up with Jim Casy who is leading a strike against the peach orchard owners who want to pay two-and-a-half cents per box. Tom then learns that his family is being paid five cents because they are working as strikebreakers, people who work despite an ongoing strike. While the two are talking, authorities sneak up on

More about Grapes Of Wrath Analysis

Open Document