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.