The Grapes Of Wrath The Great Depression - 1748 Words

Jamie LoConte Mrs. Viscosi AP Lang. Per. 4 5 April 2017 The Grapes of Wrath: The Great Depression â€Å"Man, unlike any other thing organic or inorganic in the universe, grows beyond his work, walks up the stairs of his concepts, and emerges ahead of his accomplishments† (Steinbeck). The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is a classic book read by millions in high school due to its simple prose, clear symbolism, and its heartwarming story of perseverance against the odds. However, this novel is far more than a heart-tugging story, but is actually a historically correct interpretation of the Great Depression of the 1930’s in the United States. John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath’s plot and characters reflect the Great Depression environmentally,†¦show more content†¦When families like the Joads began on their treacherous journey to California, along with the thousands of other families, they were not socially accepted or taken care of along the way. Farmers traveling were given the derogatory nickname of â€Å"Okies†, stereotyping that t hey all came from Oklahoma (Schleeter). Everyone disliked Okies, especially those in California, and when they arrived they were stuck living in cardboard boxes in filthy camps (Schleeter). These squalid camps of thousands were called â€Å"Hoovervilles†, and the Joad family spent a fair amount of time in one (Marchand). Steinbeck depicted the horror these camps so fantastically, that First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt called to reform laws governing migrant camps (Schleeter). Those in poverty could only rely on one another, Ma Joad describes this beautifully in saying,† If you’re in trouble go to the poor people. They’re the only one who will help† (Steinbeck). The camps were often burned, and when the Joad’s burned, they managed to get into a government-funded, self-managed camp (Marchand). Steinbeck structured the plot of his story to move from one family, to many families, to the human experience, in order to speak for the social issues of the m asses (Schleeter). He also had effect of speaking for thousands who are suffering with the same prejudices as the Joad family by speaking in third-person plural to turnShow MoreRelatedThe Grapes of Wrath: Connections to the Great Depression1608 Words   |  7 PagesThe Grapes of Wrath: Connections to the Great Depression The decaying state of the American economy and the onset of the Great Depression in the 1930s brought about the necessity for the United States to reconsider its attitudes and examine the long term effects of its policies concerning wide-scale socioeconomic problems that were constantly growing bigger. The Great Depression led to the creation of many new and innovative government policies and programs, along with revisions to older economicRead MoreEssay about The Grapes Of Wrath: Connections To The Great Depression1572 Words   |  7 PagesThe Grapes of Wrath: Connections to the Great Depression The decaying state of the American economy and the onset of the Great Depression in the 1930s brought about the necessity for the United States to reconsider its attitudes and examine the long term effects of its policies concerning wide-scale socioeconomic problems that were constantly growing bigger. The Great Depression led to the creation of many new and innovative government policies and programs, along with revisions to older economicRead MoreEssay about The Grapes of Wrath - The True American Spirit1137 Words   |  5 PagesThe True American Spirit of The Grapes of Wrath    John Steinbecks novel, The Grapes of Wrath is an excellent portrayal of the common and true Americans. While it is of course a book of deep thought and incredible symbolism, most of all The Grapes of Wrath gives these common American workers a voice and a distinct identity, and doesnt just turn them into a stereotype or cliche.       Steinbecks book could be regarded as one of the best books from America and perhaps the best onRead MoreJohn Steinbecks Greatest Accomplishments973 Words   |  4 Pageswas went largely unnoticed, as did his next two, it wasn’t until Tortilla Flat was published that Steinbeck was recognized as an author. Steinbeck had many accomplishments, however few can compare to In Dubious Battle, Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes if Wrath. Each of these individual novels set out many achievements for Steinbeck. In Dubious Battle, written in 1936, was a strike novel set in the California apple country, a story of nine hundred migratory workers devoted to their cause. In DubiousRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck1027 Words   |  5 PagesThe Great Depression sparked an economical and social malfunction in United States throughout the 1930s and 1940s. John Steinbeck was a prominent author who’s writing best illustrates California during the Great Depression. John Steinbeck uses his writing to illustrate the social and economic injustice that the common man faced during the The Great Depression. John Steinbeck’s best known novel The Grapes of Wrath, does an excellent job showing generation after generation, what California was likeRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck1064 Words   |  5 PagesThe Grapes of Wrath, originated from a John Steinbeck’s book, a legendary film that focus on a major point of American history. The story follows the Joad family on their journey to California trying to survive the hardships. This film, focus on the social problems of America like the Dust bowl, The Great Depression, and industrialism. The Grapes of Wrath was filmed in a journalistic-documentary style, which displayed the realism of the epidemic in the thirties. The thirties the period The GrapesRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath And Virginia Woolf s Mrs. Dalloway1485 Words   |  6 Pagesperiod of history in the western world- from the devastating effects of the Great Depression that began in 1929 to the bloodshed of World War II, people were forced to adapt to unfamiliar and changing circumstances. The effects of these events were especially felt in the United States and Britain, and the two countries set the scene for John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway. The Grapes of Wrath recounts the tale of the Joad family, farm owners who, after being forcedRead MoreThe Role of Food in The Great Gatsby and The Grapes of Wrath Essay837 Words   |  4 Pagesfood in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work The Great Gatsby and John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath vary immensely. The complexity and need for sustenance differ between the books, but both reflect the events, viewpoints, and attitudes of the time periods they are set in. The complexity of food and drink changes from book to book. Extravagant and sophisticated food and drink litter the background in The Great Gatsby. For instance, chapter three of The Great Gatsby describes â€Å"buffet tables, garnishedRead MoreBabylon Revisited And The Grape Of Wrath Analysis1059 Words   |  5 PagesBoth Babylon Revisited and The Grape of wrath are stories that capture and explain the difficulties and the changes that occurred in peoples lives as a result of the Great Depression of 1929. Babylon Revisited explores life after the recession with its setting being in the 1930s. It explains the economical downfall of individuals during the recession and how they view the life before the recession, during the recession, and after the recession. The Grape of Wrath is set in the recession time withRead MoreThe Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck Essay1653 Words   |  7 PagesIn John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath, the hardships of the Great Depression lead the Californians and the Okies to treat each other kindly or harshly, based on their own concerns of the future. Social criticism and class conflict are primary themes in this novel because of the unjust treatment the Californians give to the Okies throughout the story, but this is not the only relationship Steinbeck focuses on. He also writes and explains the relationship among the Okies. Steinbeck was born