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.