The Grapes of Wrath: Time Period-Significance

I guess I didn't really pay attention during the 1930's section of Twentieth Century because I didn't know much about The Dust Bowl until I read The Grapes of Wrath. John Steinbeck did very well at supplying lots of factual information about the historic event into an entertaining story. He was able to reflect history very nicely because the novel is realistic fiction, so many aspects explained in it are true.

Unlike today, farming was a very common career for people living in the Midwest in this time period, so when The Dust Bowl came and stopped the growing of crops, all the farmers were out of work. Families then had to move to find work which made them hopeful, yet hesitant. Moving from Oklahoma to California brought a lot of tense moments between social classes and between migrants and natives. Migrants, who were given the nickname 'Okies', were very poor and looking anywhere for work. Many Californian natives were well off and could care less about the poor Okies. The two sides couldn't get along because the natives wanted the migrants to go home. They had no sympathy for each other. Jim Casy shared his opinion on the rivalry, "What's it comin to? Fella can't make a livin' no more. Folks can't make a livin' farmin'. I ask you, what's it comin' to? I can't figure her out. Ever'body I ask, they can't figure her out (Steinbeck 127)." However, not all attitudes were bad. The migrant families were able to unify together. They were suffering through many of the same things, and by coming together, they were able to get through it easier. Although the characters themselves are fictional, the events and emotions they endured are very realistic.

The most significant symbol in this novel was the importance of family. Almost every chapter contained an up or down, whether it is a son returning home or a relative's death, and the Joad family was able to get through all the hardships. They used each other for strength to make it through their long journey as a family.

[Bibliography]

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.