Analysis_Grapes_of_Wrath

Analysis Grapes of Wrath Author: John Steinbeck, Robert Demott (Introduction). Penguin USA; New York. Reissued Edition (Oct. 1992). 619 Pages. The Grapes of Wrath is a novel by John Steinbeck that exposes the desperate conditions under which the migratory farming families of America during the 1930's lived, through a personal approach and heavy symbolism. The novel tells of one family's migration west to California through the great economic depression of the 1930's. The bank took possession of their land because the owners could not pay off their loan. The novel shows how the Joad family deals with moving to California, and how they survive the cruelty of the landowners that took advantage of them, their poverty, and willingness to work. The Grapes of Wrath combines Steinbeck’s adoration of the land, his passionate hatred for corruption; resulting from materialism (money), and his abiding faith in the common people to overcome the hostile environment. As it opens with a retaining picture of nature on rampage, the novel shows the men and women that are unbroken by nature. The theme is that of a man verses a hostile environment. His body may be destroyed, but his spirit is not broken. The method used to develop the theme of the novel is grapes, wrath, novel, family, life, turtle, people, through, man, joad, workers, theme, rain, nature, land, dust, showing, migrant, steinbeck, one, joad's, each, book, willow, west, way, out, driver, california, against, about, within, truck, time, symbols, struggle, situation, several, represents, red, personal, ground, cycle, both, being, been, another