The Grapes of Wrath
John Steinbeck
About Steinbeck…
Born in Salinas, California in 1902
Finished The Grapes of Wrath in six months; journaled his experience
Journalist and fiction writer Traveled with a
photographer to document The Great Depression but would not accept payment for his work.
About The Grapes of Wrath
Has never gone out of print
Takes place during The Great Depression
Highlights the plight of the Joad family as they are forced off of their homestead
Details the travels of one family but highlights universal tragedy
1930s and 2009—What do they have in common? Economic despair Suffering of family
farms Environmental concerns Pollution Homelessness Foreclosure Immigration
The Dust Bowl 1933-1939
Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Historically dry land that farmers believed they could cultivate
A 15-year span of wet weather mislead farmers
The drought returned, and with it came immense dust storms
The Dust Bowl 1933-1939
Cotton farming depleted the soil Farmers borrowed from banks to survive the
lean years Drought killed any prospect of recovering,
leading to bankruptcy and foreclosure More than 850 million tons of soil lost to
severe wind storms
The Dust Bowl 1933-1939
Farmers became homeless vagrants
Farmers received word that work was plentiful in California. It was not.
An overabundance of labor drove down wages.
Migrants were often resented
Primary Characters
Grandma and GrandpaMa and Pa Joad
Uncle John
TomNoah
Al(Jim Casy)
Rose of SharonMarried to Connie
Ruthie and Winfield
Secondary Characters
Muley Graves Ivy and Sairy Wilson Floyd Knowles Jim Rawley The Wainwrights
Vocabulary
Forlorn Horde Paradox Fatuous Exhort Declivity Lithe Aloof Cantankerous feral
Assailed Pinnacle Nebulous Taut Truculent Accoutrement Perplex Lecherous Fetid Beseech prodigal
Themes
I / We mentality Exploitation of land and people Injustice Family and kinship Sacrifice Disaster Kindness Man and machine Gender relationships Class divisions
Literary Elements
Conflict Style (intercalary chapters [narrative vs.
descriptive]) Symbol (turtle, rain, Route 66, colors, Christ) Imagery Dialect Allusion (biblical, The Battle Hymn of the
Republic) Figures of speech
Values expressed in Steinbeck’s works
Common humanity Unity as a means of survival Compassion, sharing, and justice Respect for religious heritage Commitment to beliefs Protecting the environment Appreciating technology’s role
Reading and Test Schedule
Week 1: Read chapters 1-11 Week 2: Read chapters 12-19 Week 3: Read chapters 20-25 Week 4: Read chapters 26-30