Grapes of Wrath

If I had to rate the novel Grapes of Wrath by John Stienbeck and Robert DeMott on a five star scale, I would definitely give a solid four. I decided to give this book a very high rating because I really enjoyed reading it. It was such a good story, and the history behind it is amazing. History is one of my absolute favorite subjects, so reading Grapes of Wrath was not difficult for me. One of the reasons that lead me to give this novel a great rating was the characters. All of them, even the ones that are not supposed to be, are very likable and it is easy to get wrapped up in their feelings and situations. That is why I think this book was so well written. Not all stories have characters like this that entice you and get the reader so into the plot they feel like they are living as a part of it. When Tom Joad realizes that his family is not at their original home, the reader hopes for him that he will find them before they make their way to California, where he might not ever be able to see them again. When Rose of Sharon is scared by the woman's story about the girl's dead baby, the reader prays to God that Rose of Sharon's baby is born a healthy and happy child. The reader appreciates the characters and goes on the journey with them. I, while reading Grapes of Wrath, found myself anticipating the Joad family's arrival to California. I so badly wanted them to find work quickly so they could have the little white house that they dreamed and hoped for. I guess I just really liked how into the story I got, which led me to give it the highest rating I thought was worthy. It would have been a perfect five star rating, but I felt that the plot was a little dull at some parts. I stilled loved this book very much.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006.

Grapes of Wrath

My least favorite part about the novel Grapes of Wrath was how the plot with kind of boring. There was no rising action, climax, or falling action. The only thing that was looked forward to was getting to California, but that happened in the middle of the book. I felt like I was asking myself, "What now?" I guess I could see if the authors wanted to make miniature climax's throughout the story. An example of this could have been when Tom Joad was coming home from prison and he did not know how or where his family had been. It all leads up to when he finds the house, and then finding his family at his uncle's house. The plot just kinda of piddles on while they slowly make their way from Oklahoma to California to look for work. When I think of a climax in a plot, I usually think of some sort of problem that needs solved or a big event that changes everything about the story. What was the problem in Grapes of Wrath? Problem: the Joad family, along with hundrreds of thousands of other families, were getting kicked off of their land because their crops failed, thus leading them with no money. Solution: the Joads move themselves off of their farm and go to California in search of work. Well, they make it to California. Every once in a while one of them finds work, but it is definitely not what the Joads, nor the reader were expecting. Is that supposed to be the climax? The book goes on a lot longer than that! First it is the struggles of pre-California, and turns into the struggles after California. I completely understand that this is historical fiction, so it is mostly based on facts, but I feel like it could have been more exciting. I loved everything about this book besides that fact that after you were finished reading it, it almost felt pointless.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006.

Grapes of Wrath

My favorite part of Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and Robert DeMott was probably the perspectives it was told in. It is told in third person, which allows the story to be told from different points of view. It has its main characters as well as smaller, non important ones. One thing I liked about this the most was that it was refreshing to read. Sometimes it gets boring reading about the same people, especially when the plot is not that exciting. The Joad family is not boring necessarily, but it is nice to get a little break from what is happening. The miniature stories that are placed every couple of chapters go along with what is happening in the plot, and it explains a little more of what is going on. For example, the Joad family stopped at the gas station where the girl behind the counter had a little bit of an attitude. At first, the reader assumes she is just a snotty young girl, or mean in nature, but the smaller side story explains her situation. These side chapters act like side kicks to the plot. They add a little interest to the reader, and also helps the reader understand exactly what happened during this time in our history. I liked how the authors used these to give a better understanding of the nineteen thirties. Instead of just telling a story that happened to take place during the Dust Bowl, John Steinbeck and Robert DeMott wrote a novel that give you a completely new look on the time. I love history, and I liked being able to picture the scenes as I read them. As a reader, I feel like I learned a lot more from the side chapters. You are not only reading about what it was like to be in a family after the Dust Bowl; you are reading about what everyone was going through during the same period.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006.

Grapes of Wrath

My favorite character in the novel Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and Robert DeMott was by far Tommy Joad. He is one of the main characters, and definitely one of the most influential. Tom is the first character in the story. Right off the bat the reader can see what his personality is. He is honest about why he went to prison, so he can be seen as a pretty good person. The reader can also see that he is determined when he is trying to make his way back home. Tom has been gone for awhile and he has no clue what has happened to his family for the past four years. He was not aware that the bank had kicked his family off of the land that they had lived on for generations. He is pretty easy-going, so when he realizes that the Joad family is a few miles away in their uncle's house, he simply keeps going with the friends he has made along the way. One of his friends is Casey, who used to be a preacher. The reader finds out soon that Tom Joad is very good a reading and figuring out people. As soon as they reach the house where his family is, Tom takes the place as one of the leaders of the family. It helped the Joad family to have someone else to look up to in such a time of need. Tom also becomes very handy because he, along with his little brother, is the only one who knows how to fix and operatet a car. This is a huge help because the family has to make it all the way to California on an extrememly limited budget and with only one truck. Tom is also another family member who can work and earn more money for the family. I think I appreciate Tom as a character because the only thing he does is help.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006.

Grapes of Wrath

The story of Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and Robert DeMott is extremely accurate when it comes to reflecting events in our history. It is historical fiction, so the characters and specific events are fictional while the setting is real. This novel is based in the nineteen-thirties during and right after the Dust Bowl. The idea of the plot happened to hundreds of thousands of farmers and their families. After the horrible dust storm destroyed the crops and their land, the farmers were forced out by the businessmen. Driven by false advertisement of available jobs, they and their families travelled the long and painful distance to California. Steinbeck and DeMott simply told a true story with made up characters. I do not believe that the authors had certain responsibilities for the characters or group of characters besides to tell the tale of this period in history from all aspects. The farmers and their families could represent struggle and strive for survival, as well as hope that the future will be brighter. The owners of the California farms could represent the greed and selfishness of society, both then and now. They took advantage of the farmers' time of need for their own profit. They were discriminating and cruel to all of the people, calling them degrading names like "Okies," even though they were the ones who attracted all of the people to California. The bank that took everything away from the families could simply symbolize the obstacles that get thrown at us in life. They are impossible to change, so the best thing you can do is stick it out and do the best that you can. To the farmers, this would be move to California in hopes to get work and settle their family as quickly as possible. I think the things that influenced the authors the most was the fact that there were few documents that explained the details of life during this time in history. Their motivation was to write a story that told the truth, no sugarcoating or fluff involved.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006.

Grapes of Wrath

I think that John Steinbeck and Robert DeMott, the authors of the novel Grapes of Wrath, used many techniques to engage the reader and to make the story effective. The use of a third person narrator allows the story to be told in a more matter-of-fact way. It is not being told from a specific character or group of character's point of view, so there are no opinions or personal thoughts effecting the story. This makes the historical part of Grapes of Wrath more accurate. Another technique that makes the story effective is the miniature stories that fit in between the plot. These little stories do not include the main characters, or any specific character for that matter, but they go along with what is happening in the plot. The purpose of these stories, in my opinion, is to give a more general outlook on what was happening during the time of the Dust Bowl. They are told from many different perspectives, so it paints a better picture of the time period in head of the reader. They help the reader understand what is going on in the plot, too. For me, the small stories better explain the situations that the main characters were in. An example would be when the people from the bank are at the homes of the farmers. At first, from the Joad family's point of view, the business are compelely horrible and are being unfair. The little story explains more about how the bank works, and the reader sees that it is a tiny bit more justified than it seems. Although the point of this certain story is not to convince the reader that the bank had every right to ruin the lives of so many families, it gives more information and history behind the plot. The miniuature stories are supporters of the main story. By using these supports, the story in Grapes of Wrath is more interesting and understandable.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006.

Grapes of Wrath

We still read the novel Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and Robert DeMott because of the timelessness, as well as the universal themes. We read Grapes of Wrath to remember and educate ourselves on such a tragic time in our nation's history. It is educating because if more readers learn about the horrors the farmers went through the year after their crops failed, they will know how to prevent it again from happening. The more aware of what happened, the less likely history will repeat itself. Besides making sure our country does not turn into even more of a confused, corrupt society, we still read this book because of the story. The plot carries the story of a family trying to get through the hardest time they will ever live, and everyone can relate to that in some form or another. If the reader can not relate to working together as a family, maybe they can relate to it as an individual. Everyone sets goals for themselves, and everyone has expectations. The farmers and the families had expectations to come to California, find work easily, and live as happily and comfortably as possible. When they get there, they realize their true fate; there is no work and comfort is extremely close to impossible. The sadness and disappointment is very real. Though the reader has most likely never felt this kind of disappointment or desperation, they are still emotions that everyone experiences. Grapes of Wrath was written to capture this period of time by expressing all points of view. Because there were so many different kinds of people effected, this story is not meant for a certain "type" reader. The timelessness comes from the history put into feelings. Even the most stubborn, boring, or plain person has feelings. Is that not something we can all relate to? In my opinion, I think that this specific reason of why we still read Grapes of Wrath sometimes goes unnoticed. We do not realize how much we get into the story and start feeling for the characters. We simply notice that we were capture by the plot...the plot which is not too exciting, but very interesting.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006.

Grapes of Wrath

The novel Grapes of Wrath completely reflects history, behavior and social issues of the nineteen-thirties because it is historical fiction. It tells the story of what happened to so many hundreds of thousands of farmers when the Dust Bowl killed the crops. Although the characters and the plot are made up, it mentions real places and is based off of true stories. By giving miniature side stories in the middle of the main plot, the reader is able to see the general perspective from the farmers. It is not focusing on the specific character, which does two things. One, it gives the reader a better picture, background, and idea of the lifestyle of the people who went through this. Two, the side stories solidify the fact that this is historical fiction and not just made up. The things in the story happened to real people. Some parts are hard to believe, but by giving numerous perspectives it is easier for the reader to totally understand what is going on. I think that knowing that the plot actually happened to a family gives the reader more attachment and emotions to the story. It is almost like the reader is feeling the emotions of the families. The desperation of the farmers when the bank is kicking them off of their land makes you want the businessmen to let them stay. The reader feels for the hearts being broken. When the farmers realize the work situation in California and how they are getting deliberately ripped of, the reader can feel as well as shares the anger and the loss of hope. You just want them to get through it. I think the books symbolic and thematic significance is to simply make people aware of what happened in this period of time. Because it is historical fiction, there is really no lesson to be learned besides to be happy with what you have and don't take life for granted.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006.

Grapes of Wrath

In my opinion, there was no specific "hero" in the story of Grapes of Wrath. I feel like it was set up differently; there were different heroes at different times. The term "hero," in this case, is not talking about one individual throughout the entire plot who saves the day or finds a solution to the conflict. To me, someone can be a hero by doing simpler things. For instance, the truck driver in the beginning if the novel can be considered a hero. Without him, Tom Joad would never have made it home in such short time. He would have been there too late, and his family would have gone west without him. The truck driver broke a few rules to do a nice deed because he knew it was the right thing to do. Tom ended up helping out his family in huge ways. If the truck driver had denied him the ride, he never would have been able to help his family on the trip to California. Tom Joad was a hero at times too. He had experience repairing and putting together cars from prison, which was a skill only his younger brother had. It is much more reassuring to a big family when there are two skilled mechanics, rather than one sixteen year old boy. Besides his mother, Tom is kind of the rock of the family. He was a tough, hard working young man who served as a protector for his family. But if I did have to choose one hero for this book, it would definitely be Tom's mother. Ma is the center of the whole family, and seems to know everything. Don't all mothers? She cared for all of the sick, did her best cooking for them, and made sure everything was in order. She is powerful, yet kind and understanding. Her husband mentions that the women are taking control; Ma made all of the decisions when times were at their worst. Her cool head helped her understand everyones needs, and she was the only one who did not break under the pressure of the harsh times.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006.

Grapes of Wrath

There are many causes, gains, and losses in the plot of Grapes of Wrath. First of all, the cause of the entire conflict was the bank and the people who ran it. Even though it is said that the people had nothing to do with it because the bank was a monster out of control, the big businessmen who started it are still at fault. They just did not want to take the blame. Because the dust, the heat, and the dry weather killed off all of the farmers crops, the farmers were not able to pay the people who own the land. The bank is described as a monster, and the monster makes the people use tractors and force the farmers and their families off the land. Because all of the families were moving to California, the work becomes scarce and many people suffer. Without the unforgiving bank or the mindless tractor, the farmers could have stayed on their land and not overcrowded California. I do no think there were many gains in the story of Grapes of Wrath. The only individuals who gained anything were the rich farm owners who lived in California. They could hire has much help as they wanted since all of the farmers, now migrants, were so desperate for work and money. The more that were hired, the less the owners could pay the migrants. Thus, they would receive more out of their profit because they spent less money on the help. In my opinion, the only thing the migrants gained was the knowledge of how big business worked, and knowing that the bank was unfeeling and uncaring towards their crisis. The losses of this novel greatly outnumber the gains. The farmers lost everything. The tractors destroyed their homes and their farms, which was their complete and only way of life. Losing their farms meant losing the only source of money, a source of food, and a place to live. Since the farmers were kicked off of their land, they were forced to move to California to search for work. In the golden state, they lost their jobs. Aside from losing physical things, the farmers also lost their dignity when the Californians called them "Okies" and treated them like animals.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006.

Grapes of Wrath

In the story Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and Robert DeMott, there could be many universal themes that the authors address. One theme could be that family is the most important thing a person can have. Although the Joads have to completely uproot their family, which includes Pa, Ma, Tom, Rose of Sharon, Rose of Sharon's husband Connie, Grandma, Grandpa, Noah, Ruthie, Winfield, Uncle John, and their preacher friend Casy, they try their best to stick together. Not all of them make it all the way to California, but the family manages to keep most of them in the same household. It pays off because they have more people to work. Everyone is working for their family, so it becomes apparent that they are all in it together and help each other out. Another universal theme could also be that you have to make the best of what you have, in whatever situation you find yourself in. Throughout their new, Californian adventure, the Joad family is faced with everything horrible you could possibly imagine. First, they have to move out of their house before the tractor comes and figure out where they should go. Cramming everyone in a small house, they try to be a normal family for the time being. When they have to get in the road, the Joads make a great effort to make the truck as comfortable as possible, while accommodating everyone who needs especially taken care of. The same thing goes for when the Joad family was moving from camp to camp in search for work. They all helped out, and all worked to bring food to the table. The generosity of all the migrant families also proves the point of making the best out of whatever you have. The way they act as a family, working together and trying to fix the problems together shows how important family is to have around. They will always have you back, and always been there when you need them.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006.

Grapes of Wrath

The story and writing style of John Steinback and Robert DeMott in the book Grapes of Wrath reveal many things about both author's values and attitudes. The story is told from third person, but the feelings, thoughts, and personal stories of all the characters are told. This helps the reader get a feel for what life was like from all different points of view. In my opinion, the authors did this on purpose because it makes the plot more interesting. It also helps the reader understand what was going on, and the point of the story. By describing the heat, thirst, and desperation of the Joad family as they travelled west, it is easier to visualize it and picture what is happening. The Californians are portrayed as cruel without reason, unfair, and nasty to the families coming from the east. Although the reader experiences acts of cruelty, for example the derogatory use of the name "Okie," it is understood that they did not fully understand the situation of the families. Steinback and DeMott made a point of telling both sides to give the total picture of a time in our history of confusion and massive change. I think their thought and main goal while writing Grapes of Wrath was to make the story and the characters as real and as straight forward as possible. Both John Steinback and Robert DeMott obviously value the truth because they did not try to sugar coat anything. The story told the good, the bad, and the ugly, as it should. This book is a classic because it tells the tale of such an important time of our nations history. It tells the real tale, with every detail and image used to put the reader in the story. The attitude is not to pick sides of the stories, like from a Californian or from a moving farmer. Steinback and DeMott not only accomplished writing a novel that would become an American classic, but gave readers a tool to learn about and almost experience such a great changing time in our past.


Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006.