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