The Grapes of Wrath was written by John Steinbeck. It was published in 1976, by Penguin Books.
:.The Plot.:
The Book takes place in the 1930's. We find the Family is driving with a group of People who have selected their Leaders. They have made up their own Laws, and this hides their violent behaviour, sexual trust and even murder.We read how the Men and Women watch the Storms destroy their Land.
The Bank forecloses on the Tenants, and the Agent tells them they have to leave the property. He feels that their Tractors, ruined the land.
The Muley's Family is at his Uncle John's place, and Tom and Muley decide to make a fire, and cook some Rabbits for Dinner. While the food is cooking Tommy tells him that, ''Pision make no sense.''
Pa suddenly says, ''Disposing of everything. Sell it, pack it, leave it or burn it, we're heading west.''
Al takes the Truck of junk to Sallisaw and sold it for $1,00.00. The Preacher asks to go along.
The Preacher wants to go and Ma says, ''Yes.''
Two pigs are slaughtered and they decide to leave next morning. They leave Muley two Dogs and all of the Chickens.
Ma wants to look back but she can't. Life goes on!
Highway 66 is the main migrant road., it’s the longest concrete road, across the Country. There are red lands and the gray lands, twisting up into the mountains, crossing the Great Divide, down into the bright and terrible Desert, to the Mountains again, and into the rich California Valleys.''
Al drives to the highway at Sallislaw and heads west. Ma thinks there may be a lot of Mountains before California, but ''Up ahead they's a thousan' lives we might live, but when it comes, it'll on'y be one.''
Near Paden, at a Gas Station, the Owner thinks that they don’t have enough money to pay him. He says ''What's the country coming to?'' Tom tells him ''You don't want to know''.
They show him they have the money, and while he is filling the tank, they all have a drink water. The Dog gets runs out onto the road, and gets killed . Grandma takes a naps in the Bathroom.
Tom drives through Oklahoma City. Ma is worried about his crossing the state line , because he is on parole. At Bethany, Grandpa has a stroke and dies with Casy saying the Lords Prayer and Grandma shouting. He's buried in the Wilsons' Quilt that has Psalms 32:1, written on it.
They hear of the Wilsons' hard times. Pa shows them a handbill that says “Pea Pickers wante in California. Good wages. Work year round. 800 Pickers being hired.”
Tom suggests they stop driving alone, and ride with the Wilsons.
Ma thinks about it and agrees. She says,''Each of us will help each other , and we'll all git to California.''
''The Western States, nervous as horses before a thunderstorm.'' ... If from ''I have a little food'' plus ''I have none'' the sum is ''We have a little food'', the thing is on its way, the movement has direction. ... ''This is the thing to bomb.'' Paine, Marx, Jefferson, Lenin were results, not causes. At the Truck Stop Hamburger Stand.
Fat man and his Wife on the way to Beverly-Wilshire Hotel and the Pacific Ocean. They see 2 Tuckers buying food. 15-cent loaf of bread for 10 cents and nickel-a-piece candy two-for-a-penny. The truckers leave two half dollars for two ten-cents cups of Java.
Mae: ''Truck drivers ... an' after them shitheels.''
As they cross the Texas panhandle, stop overnight west of Amarillo, and then go into New Mexico.
Rosasharn says she and Connie plan to live in town. He will learn about Radios.
Burned out con-rod bearing. Tom suggests he and Casy stay behind.
Ma grabs a jack handle to fight Pa with: ''I ain't a-gonna go.'' The truck goes on to find a Campsite.
While Tom is working on the Car, cuts his hand, and gets it covered with covers mud. Al arrives and says Grandma's gone nuts.
Back in Santa Rosa a one-eyed Junkyard Man who hates his boss helps Al and Tom get the part they need. Tom tells him about a one-legged whore, and that he should cover up his eye (''tell 'em ya dong's growd''). They return to Casy and fix the Dodge with a flashlight from the man. The campsite owner won't let them stay.
A ragged Man, who's been to California, and is going home to starve tells them all about labour contractors and about how his Wife and two Kids died, there. Tom, Casy and Uncle John go back to the Dodge Tom throws a clod that busts the Owner's kerosene lamp. In the daylight they scatter like bugs to the west, and as the dark caught them, they clustered like bugs near to shelter .This is how they have structured and functioned as long as the group stays together.
They drive through the rest of New Mexico and Arizona (driving all night) and arrive at the Colorado River by dawn.
At Needles the Men take off their clothes and bathe in the River, joined by a father and son who're going back to the panhandle. He tells how the land is already owned and not worked, how sheriffs push you around, and people call you “Okie”.
Noah tells Tom go down to sit by the River. A Jehovita Witness comes up to them and wants to hold a meeting in Grandma's tent, to see her on her way to Jesus, but Ma says no.
The Sheriff tells Ma he'll run them out if they're there tomorrow; she runs him off with an iron pan. Wilson says they're not going on because Sairy's is sick. At four the Joads leave. The Needles, the Gas Station Attendant, tells them he wouldn't have the nerve to cross desert in their Jalopy.
He says to his helper: ''Them goddamn Okies got no sense and no feeling. They ain't human.''
It's almost midnight, near Daggett, N.M., and they are stopped for an agricultural inspection.
Ma say's ''Grandma's real sick, please go on, without us.'' Pa, refuses and they continue to travel together.
They do, and arrive at the Mojave Desert near sunrise.
They go through Tehachapi Pass and see the Valley below. Pa is in awe and says: ''I never knew there was anything like that.''
Ma replies: ''Thank God! The Family's here.'' Then she tells them that Grandma died before the inspection stop. They drive on down into the valley.
In California the land that belonged to the Mexicans, is being bought by the American money Men.
These Men developed the Farms, (but have never seen them), and have the Chinese, Japanese, Mexican and Filipino worker the land.
All of the Owners hate Okies!
Twenty seven Chapters later the Book ends. I never tell the end of the Story.
:.What I Felt.:
At times I thought that the Workers were Slaves, they were treated so shabbily.
There are Friendships, love, birth death, and every thing else in the circle of life.
The Family is always the dearest.
John Steinbeck, always has been able to show us the lives of ordinary people. They try to keep their humanity even when the have economic & social problems during this Era.
:.The Author.:
John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. His first book was called the Cup of Gold.
He has written some marvellous Books: How Green Was My Valley, The Informer, Of Mice And Men, East Of Eden and Cannery Row.
:.MYy Conclusion:
Many Members might find the words difficult to understand.
This Book is an oldie, but a goodie. It is a simple story of the many People, who developed the United States.
I highly recommend it to you.
I hope you enjoyed my review. Thank you so much, for reading it.
:.Important Information.:
I paid $10.00 CAD, for my Hard Back Copy.
It is available in Paper Back & Audio Cassette.
ISBN: 0140186409
I bought it at a Bookstore, but I have seen being sold at Used Book Shops, and on line.
©LL2003
