Grapes of wrath main 19 30 and test preview

““The Grapes of Wrath”The Grapes of Wrath”

Discussion notesDiscussion notes

Discussion notes: Chapters 19-21Discussion notes: Chapters 19-21

““We ain’t foreign.”:We ain’t foreign.”:– Some critics charged Some critics charged

Steinbeck was racist in the Steinbeck was racist in the implication that the implication that the migrant farmers were migrant farmers were somehow better than the somehow better than the Filipinos or Mexicans that Filipinos or Mexicans that had traditionally made up had traditionally made up California’s agricultural California’s agricultural workforce, simply because workforce, simply because the farmers were white the farmers were white Americans.Americans.

– However, the broader However, the broader issue went beyond race issue went beyond race and to the changing social and to the changing social landscape: Now it wasn’t landscape: Now it wasn’t just foreigners who were just foreigners who were being oppressed.being oppressed.


AngerAnger– Landowners hate the Landowners hate the

Okies. The storeowners Okies. The storeowners hate the Okies. The native hate the Okies. The native California workers hate California workers hate the Okies: “These the Okies: “These goddamn Okies are dirty goddamn Okies are dirty and ignorant.”and ignorant.”

– The Okies are getting The Okies are getting angry: “A fallow field is a angry: “A fallow field is a sin, and the unused land a sin, and the unused land a crime against thin crime against thin children.”children.”

– In a land of plenty, they In a land of plenty, they are starving.are starving.


Steinbeck says the Steinbeck says the landowners ignored the landowners ignored the three cries of history:three cries of history:

1.1. When property When property accumulates in too few accumulates in too few hands, it is taken away hands, it is taken away from the many.from the many.

2.2. When a majority of When a majority of people are hungry and people are hungry and cold, they will take by cold, they will take by force what they need.force what they need.

3.3. Repression works only to Repression works only to strengthen and knit the strengthen and knit the repressed.repressed.


What Casy finally What Casy finally learns in jail after learns in jail after giving himself up giving himself up to save Tom and to save Tom and Floyd is that man’s Floyd is that man’s spiritual spiritual brotherhood must brotherhood must express itself in express itself in social unity. He social unity. He becomes a labor becomes a labor organizer.organizer.


Chapter 25 details the Chapter 25 details the deliberate destruction of the deliberate destruction of the harvests in order to keep harvests in order to keep prices up, while children are prices up, while children are starving to death.starving to death.

Steinbeck refers to this as a Steinbeck refers to this as a “crime that goes beyond “crime that goes beyond denunciation” and “a sorrow denunciation” and “a sorrow that weeping cannot that weeping cannot symbolize.”symbolize.”

““In the eyes of the people In the eyes of the people there is the failure; and in the there is the failure; and in the eyes of the hungry there is a eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath. In the souls of growing wrath. In the souls of the people the grapes of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing wrath are filling and growing heavy for the vintage.”heavy for the vintage.”


““Well, they was nice fellas, Well, they was nice fellas, ya see. What made em’ ya see. What made em’ bad was they needed stuff. bad was they needed stuff. An’ I begin to see, then. An’ I begin to see, then. It’s need that makes all It’s need that makes all the trouble. I ain’t got it the trouble. I ain’t got it worked out.”worked out.”

Luke 23:34: “Father, Luke 23:34: “Father, forgive them. For they forgive them. For they know not what they do.”know not what they do.”

Casy’s last words: “You Casy’s last words: “You fellas don’t know what fellas don’t know what you’re a-doin. You’re you’re a-doin. You’re helpin’ to starve kids.”helpin’ to starve kids.”


Steinbeck’s depiction Steinbeck’s depiction of extreme poverty is of extreme poverty is not without relevancy not without relevancy today. In his time, today. In his time, homelessness and homelessness and despair existed within despair existed within the larger context of the larger context of the Depression, and the Depression, and the general public the general public was, for a while at was, for a while at least, genuinely least, genuinely touched and angered touched and angered by the suffering of by the suffering of migrants.migrants.


Today, some argue Today, some argue that prosperous that prosperous Americans seem all Americans seem all too willing to too willing to accept the accept the presence of presence of homeless people homeless people on the streets and on the streets and a desperate a desperate “underclass” in the “underclass” in the ghettos.ghettos.

Roger and MeRoger and Me


In “Roger and Me”:In “Roger and Me”: The pursuit of money is a The pursuit of money is a

perfectly legitimate activity in perfectly legitimate activity in our society: It is the basis of our society: It is the basis of capitalism.capitalism.

But what happens when, in But what happens when, in the quest for the dollar, the quest for the dollar, human values are forgotten?human values are forgotten?– In the context of the In the context of the

novel, banks force people novel, banks force people from their homes; big from their homes; big farmers eat up little farmers eat up little farmers; landowners farmers; landowners exploit workers.exploit workers.

At what point does the pursuit At what point does the pursuit of money turn into a crime? of money turn into a crime?


By the time we reach the By the time we reach the end of the book, the end of the book, the transformation from the transformation from the single family to the human single family to the human family is complete:family is complete:– The Joads and The Joads and

Wainwrights live in the Wainwrights live in the same box car.same box car.

– When Al tears down the When Al tears down the tarp that hangs in the tarp that hangs in the middle of the boxcar, “the middle of the boxcar, “the families in the car were families in the car were one.”one.”

– Al and Aggie decide to get Al and Aggie decide to get married, completing the married, completing the literal and symbolic literal and symbolic merger of the two merger of the two families.families.


TransformationsTransformations– Emerson’s “Oversoul” has Emerson’s “Oversoul” has

the consequence of living the consequence of living by the truth that by the truth that humankind is bound to humankind is bound to one another with spiritual one another with spiritual bonds. We become bonds. We become responsible for what responsible for what happens to our neighbor happens to our neighbor and to society in general.and to society in general.

– This principle is This principle is exemplified in Ma, Rose of exemplified in Ma, Rose of Sharon, the Wilsons, and Sharon, the Wilsons, and the Wainwrights.the Wainwrights.

– But nowhere is this But nowhere is this manifested more than in manifested more than in Jim Casy and Tom Joad.Jim Casy and Tom Joad.


The transformation of Jim CasyThe transformation of Jim Casy ““Maybe it ain’t a sin. Maybe it’s just the way folks is … There ain’t Maybe it ain’t a sin. Maybe it’s just the way folks is … There ain’t

no sin, and there ain’t no virtue.” no sin, and there ain’t no virtue.” ““What’s this call, this sperit? An I says, ‘It’s love. I love people so What’s this call, this sperit? An I says, ‘It’s love. I love people so

much I’m fit to bust, sometimes.’much I’m fit to bust, sometimes.’ ““Maybe it’s all men an’ all women we love; maybe that’s the Holy Maybe it’s all men an’ all women we love; maybe that’s the Holy

Sperit – the human sperit – the whole shebang. Maybe all men Sperit – the human sperit – the whole shebang. Maybe all men got one big soul ever’body’s a part of.”got one big soul ever’body’s a part of.”

““I ain’t sayin I’m like Jesus. But I got tired like Him, an’ I got I ain’t sayin I’m like Jesus. But I got tired like Him, an’ I got mixed up like Him, an’ I went into the wilderness like Him . . . mixed up like Him, an’ I went into the wilderness like Him . . . There was the hills, an’ there was me, and we wasn’t separate no There was the hills, an’ there was me, and we wasn’t separate no more. We was one thing. An’ that one thing was holy.”more. We was one thing. An’ that one thing was holy.”

““An’ I got thinkin … how we was holy when we was one thing, an’ An’ I got thinkin … how we was holy when we was one thing, an’ mankin’ was holy when it was one thing. An’ it on’y got unholy mankin’ was holy when it was one thing. An’ it on’y got unholy when one mis’able little fella got the bit in his teeth an’ run off his when one mis’able little fella got the bit in his teeth an’ run off his own way, kickin’ and draggin’ an’ fightin.’”own way, kickin’ and draggin’ an’ fightin.’”


All of Casy’s teachings All of Casy’s teachings crystallize in his crystallize in his disciple: Tomdisciple: Tom– In prison, Tom learned In prison, Tom learned

to mind his own to mind his own business and to live one business and to live one day at a time. By the day at a time. By the end of the book, he end of the book, he prepares to leave his prepares to leave his family to continue what family to continue what “Casy done”: He “Casy done”: He dedicates himself to dedicates himself to work for the work for the improvement of his improvement of his people, though it may people, though it may mean imprisonment or mean imprisonment or his own death.his own death.


““Well, maybe like Casy says, a fella ain’t got a Well, maybe like Casy says, a fella ain’t got a soul of his own, but on’y a piece of a big one – soul of his own, but on’y a piece of a big one – an’ then – then it don’t matter. Then I’ll be aroun’ an’ then – then it don’t matter. Then I’ll be aroun’ in the dark. I’ll be ever’where – wherever you in the dark. I’ll be ever’where – wherever you look. Wherever they’s a fight so hungry people look. Wherever they’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there. Wherever they’s a cop can eat, I’ll be there. Wherever they’s a cop beatin’ up a guy, I’ll be there. If Casy knowed, beatin’ up a guy, I’ll be there. If Casy knowed, why, I’ll be in the way guys yell when they’re why, I’ll be in the way guys yell when they’re mad an – I’ll be in the way kids laugh when mad an – I’ll be in the way kids laugh when they’re hungry an’ they know supper’s ready. An’ they’re hungry an’ they know supper’s ready. An’ when our folks eat the stuff they raise an’ live in when our folks eat the stuff they raise an’ live in the houses they build – why, I’ll be there. See?” the houses they build – why, I’ll be there. See?” (419)(419)

That controversial endingThat controversial ending

What it reveals:What it reveals: TThose who do not share, hose who do not share,

who continue to be selfish who continue to be selfish and distrustful, “worked at and distrustful, “worked at their own doom and did their own doom and did not know it.”not know it.”

That’s what makes Rose of That’s what makes Rose of Sharon’s feeding of the old Sharon’s feeding of the old man with her own breast man with her own breast milk that much more milk that much more powerful: Saving a life is powerful: Saving a life is the most intimate the most intimate expression of human expression of human kinship.kinship.

That controversial endingThat controversial ending The religious overtones are The religious overtones are

apparent: the still, mysterious, apparent: the still, mysterious, and lingering quality of the final and lingering quality of the final scene, as “her lips came together scene, as “her lips came together and smiled mysteriously” (the last and smiled mysteriously” (the last words of the novel), might words of the novel), might suggest the subject of numerous suggest the subject of numerous religious paintings: the Madonna religious paintings: the Madonna nursing her child, whom she nursing her child, whom she knows to be the Son of God.knows to be the Son of God.

It could be interpreted that Rose It could be interpreted that Rose of Sharon’s child was sacrificed to of Sharon’s child was sacrificed to send a larger message to the send a larger message to the world. world.

This is supported by Uncle John This is supported by Uncle John sending the dead baby down the sending the dead baby down the river: “Go down an’ tell ‘em.” river: “Go down an’ tell ‘em.”

That controversial endingThat controversial ending What’s more, the name Rose What’s more, the name Rose

of Sharon comes from the of Sharon comes from the Song of Solomon: “I am the Song of Solomon: “I am the Rose of Sharon, and the lily of Rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.” This name is the valleys.” This name is often frequently interpreted often frequently interpreted as referring to Jesus Christ.as referring to Jesus Christ.

Thus, this final scene could be Thus, this final scene could be seen as symbolic of the seen as symbolic of the Eucharist: “Take, eat, this is Eucharist: “Take, eat, this is my body…”my body…”

Rose of Sharon gains the Rose of Sharon gains the wisdom that she is doing an wisdom that she is doing an ultimate act for humanity: ultimate act for humanity: She is sustaining life.She is sustaining life.

That controversial endingThat controversial ending

The bigger picture is The bigger picture is this: The ultimate this: The ultimate nourishment is the nourishment is the sharing of oneself and sharing of oneself and whatever one has to whatever one has to help others: Rose of help others: Rose of Sharon symbolizes Sharon symbolizes this by giving the only this by giving the only thing she has to give: thing she has to give: literally, her physical literally, her physical self.self.

Test #3: PreviewTest #3: Preview Closely review the last few chapters:Closely review the last few chapters: Critical/Analytical Response to literary texts Critical/Analytical Response to literary texts

Assignment to be done in class on date refelected in Assignment to be done in class on date refelected in Wikispace:Wikispace:– Be prepared to thoroughly discuss your Be prepared to thoroughly discuss your

interpretation of the over-arching message of the interpretation of the over-arching message of the book, especially the ending : How should we view book, especially the ending : How should we view the Joads’ situation and transformation at the end the Joads’ situation and transformation at the end of the book? There is no right or wrong, but there of the book? There is no right or wrong, but there is “better-informed” vs. “scratched-the-surface.” is “better-informed” vs. “scratched-the-surface.” Also look at how adversity has shaped individuals.Also look at how adversity has shaped individuals.

Grapes of wrath main 19 30 and test preview

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