The narrator looks away from the plot once more to put a spotlight on the abandoned houses and land. Rodents have began taking over the vacant houses and the weather is tearing them a part. "On a night the wind loosened a shingle and flipped it to the ground (Steinbeck 116)." That was just the beginning. One shingle led to three which led to a section in the roof. Slowly but surely, these abandoned residences fell apart. As I read this chapter, all I could think about was what the reaction would be if the Joad's returned to their home months after leaving it. The devastation over their destroyed home would be so upsetting. To see a home that once contained a happy family with generations of memories now torn up is not only a great visual picture from the novel but an emotion provoking event in The Grapes of Wrath. The Joad's finally set out on their journey. Destination: California. They travel on Highway 66 which I am very educated on thanks to a (cough, cough) ah-mazing powerpoint presentation I gave on the topic in Twentieth Century last year. Anyways, the third person narrator goes into a little detail on the sounds coming from the car and the heat in the atmosphere. I didn't even think about that! This truck that the family was driving from Oklahoma to California had no radio or air conditioning! That is such a long drive to have no beat to rock out to and way to many people (twelve to be exact) to be tightly squished together without air. Grampa's plan about staying home probably didn't seem to bad then! One important motif that I have seen several times already in the novel is humanity. How one person treats another is discussed a lot both in good and bad ways. This journey especially has showed the Joad's how people can behave whether it's a rude autobody salesman or a generous man picking up hitchhikers.
[Bibliography]
Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Scribner, 2002. Print.
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