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.