The Grapes of Wrath - Question 3

Although there are many universal themes portrayed in the novel Grapes of Wrath, I chose one in particular that seemed to outweigh the rest. I believe a key theme theme is the influence of family (biological or not) coming together as one in times of adversity. It is hard for a family to get out of bad times when each person wants to do things their own way. The Joads learn that in order for them to make it out west and find work successfully, they must look past their differences and strive to obtain a bright future. The migrant workers of that time all have something in common. They are without money, homes, and even food. In the Hoovervilles, each family is able to find strength through one another because they all were in the same boat. When the Joads meet the Wilsons, another migrant family, it is as if destiny found its way home. “You won’t be no burden. Each’ll help each, an’ we’ll all git to California,” (Steinbeck 148). The Wilsons and the Joads represent the thousands of migrant families who came together as one and formed such an influential and strong family unit, regardless of blood relation.

Another theme in the novel is social class differences. The Joads, a poor migrant family living in Oklahoma, are basically controlled by the wealthy land owners. The rich, upper class families make it impossible for the Joads, and other migrant workers, to make enough money to survive comfortably. The social classes of the time period are the result of a never ending cycle of greed and the hunger for money. One example of this is when the salesman replaces new car batteries with cracked ones that do not run efficiently, and then fill the engines with sawdust to conceal the noise (Steinbeck 85). Desperate for transportation, the migrant workers end up paying for the overpriced vehicles. Author John Steinbeck portrays in grave detail how a poor man is treated substantially different than that of a rich man.

With these two themes, the influence of family and social class differences, Steinbeck demonstrates his understanding of the difficult times the poor went though during the Dust Bowl. He reveals in his writing that although the Joads are ripped off by greedy salesmen and other corrupt business owners, and unable to make enough money to support themselves, they stick together and in the end learn valuable lessons from one another. I believe Steinbeck portrays every scenario accurately, thus giving readers a knowledgeable example of what life was like during the Great Depression.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.