StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

The Grapes of Wrath - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
In his famous book The Grapes of Wrath (1939) for which he won the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature, John Steinbeck stated, "If you're in trouble, or hurt or need - go to the poor people. They're the only ones that'll help - the only ones." This statement accurately captures his perception of the poor and marginalized members of our society…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER97.8% of users find it useful
The Grapes of Wrath
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The Grapes of Wrath"

Download file to see previous pages

This paper will examine whether or not the themes of John Steinbeck in his novels -- particularly in relation to poverty - are still relevant in today's times and whether the message that he wished to impart is universal and timeless. John Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902. He pursued studies at the Stanford University but dropped out of university in a bid to jumpstart his writing career. He gained acclaim by writing about the common people toiling amidst the Great Depression, describing desperation and poverty with vivid and colorful images that touched the hearts of many.

In The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck chronicled the travels of the Joad family from the Oklahoma Dust Bowl to California, which the family believed to be a land holding much promise and fortune for them. Together with a thousand others making the mass exodus, they brave the dusty highways carrying only their dreams and fuelled only by their faith. During their trip, they simulate society and social norms. Leaders emerge, "rules" are formed, bonds are forged, and human behavior is exposed. But even at the start of the novel, Steinbeck already established the theme of desperation of the American farmer, and how they are left out in the cold by society.

Says Seelye (2003): Steinbeck uses Tom Jo. But even at the start of the novel, Steinbeck already established the theme of desperation of the American farmer, and how they are left out in the cold by society. Says Seelye (2003):Steinbeck uses Tom Joad's return from prison as a device emphasizing the alienation through dispossession of a great number of American farmers. The deserted, ramshackle Joad house is a mute witness to the impersonal, callous nature of American capitalism, which places profits over the well-being of hard-working tillers of the soil.

At first identified with his family, Tom's progress thenceforth is deeper and deeper into the communal American soul, the larger family with which he becomes identified as his own disintegrates.It is of course, not unusual for writers to use literature as a forum for economic analysis. Of course, much drama is injected and there are plot twists and turns that would differentiate it from a purely economic piece. However, it cannot be denied that throughout history, literature has always been used to make a commentary on a prevailing economic situation.

A good example of this may well be Gabriel Garcia Marquez' "One Hundred Years of Solitude", where the climax of the story was the savage killing of plantation workers who participated in a strike to protest oppressive working conditions. According to Watts and Smith (1989):It has long been noted that although literature and drama, like language, function as institutions in some ways separate from economic forces and conditions, they do play an important role in shaping public opinion and standards on many economic issues.

In turn, economic thought and circumstances help shape and direct literature, drama and language. It is surprising then that few

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“The Grapes of Wrath Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1506665-the-grapes-of-wrath
(The Grapes of Wrath Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words)
https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1506665-the-grapes-of-wrath.
“The Grapes of Wrath Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1506665-the-grapes-of-wrath.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The Grapes of Wrath

Analyze life in America during the Great Depression as depicted in the works of John Steinbeck

He is widely known for his works of literature particularly his book ‘The Grapes of Wrath'.... In his book ‘The Grapes of Wrath', Steinbeck tells the story of tenant farmers in Oklahoma who were unable to earn a living therefore moving to California as migratory workers.... ‘The Grapes of Wrath' was written during America's great depression.... In ‘The Grapes of Wrath', Steinbeck describes how California was once part of Mexico but greedy American squatters took it....
4 Pages (1000 words) Research Paper

The Moral Development of Tom Joad in the Grapes of Wrath

… Student's Name: Instructor's Name: Essay, English Literature (Classic and Modern) Date: Topic: The Moral Development of Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath Introduction Reformation and rehabilitation for an individual released from the prison is the best thing that can happen in life.... His moral development in “The Grapes of Wrath,” depicts his sacrifice for the benefit of his family, transcending his own independent personal desires....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Compare/contrast setting of The Grapes of Wrath and The Scarlet Letter

The Grapes of Wrath' is a world renowned work by John Steinbeck and ‘The Scarlet Letter' is one of the prominent books of Nathaniel Hawthorne.... The time on which The Grapes of Wrath is based on is the late 1930s, while the other book portrays a setting of the middle of the seventeenth century.... The characters of the work The Grapes of Wrath are Tom Joad as the protagonist, and the narrator who is “anonymous, all- knowing, historically aware...
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

The Grapes of Wrath/Market structures

This paper will seek to discuss and describe five examples of market structures as explained by John Steinbeck's novel, The Grapes of Wrath.... In the book “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck, Tom Joad's interlocutor in the federal host camp describes the basis of perfect competition extremely well....
4 Pages (1000 words) Research Paper

Selfhood of American Literature in Passages of The Grapes of Wrath

The paper "Selfhood of American Literature in Passages of The Grapes of Wrath" states a spark of hope was shown to exist in the form of Mae the café waitress in Chapter 15.... The three works to be cited in this essay are Walt Whitman's preface to Leaves of Grass, William Faulker's A Rose for Emily, and three chapters from John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath....
10 Pages (2500 words) Coursework

Rethinking the Politics of The Grapes of Wrath

This paper 'Rethinking the Politics of The Grapes of Wrath" focuses on the fact that John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath criticizes American culture during the dustbowl years of the 1930s.... Steinbeck argues that American society is driven by the capitalistic 'monster' of economic profit....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbecks Commitment to Justice for the Poor

The review "The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck's Commitment to Justice for the Poor" comments the novel seen against the pre-war general background, which is actually quite a courageous step in bringing to people's notice some uncomfortable facts about American rural life.... hellip; The title of Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath uses the terminology of the Bible to recall images of revenge and suffering, in which the blood of human beings is pressed out by an angry God....
5 Pages (1250 words) Book Report/Review

The Grapes of Wrath and The Migrant Woman

This assignment "The Grapes of Wrath and The Migrant Woman" presents works of art and literature that serve as representations or criticism of the contemporary socio, economic or political scenario.... The Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck are typical representations of the period of economic depression, drought, and poverty faced by the migrant farmers in California.... Inspired by The Migrant Mother, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck records the life and struggles of a migrant family who move from Oklahoma losing their farms during the drought of the Dust Bowl....
3 Pages (750 words) Assignment
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us