...The reason why I say the narrative piece would be more influential to American people is because only in ‘ The Grapes of Wrath can a reader get a glimpse about how the Dust Bowl truly affected families and induce empathy for the Joad family. When looking at ‘The Harvest Gypsies’, American people are only able to really see just the factual side of things and may not see how those facts played a role in the everyday lives of some workers. For example in ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ readers get a glimpse into just how the current crisis is affecting families when Timothy remarks “ We seen ‘em too. An’ they ain’t much work...I get so goddamn tired jus’ figgerin’ how to eat” which shows how hard it is to find a well paying job, let alone a job itself to support a person or family. Generally throughout ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ there are instances where the injustices of the Dust Bowl situation may hit home harder than any nonfiction piece could convey as is seen where it was clear everyone was against the migrants and would take any opportunity to dehumanize them. The latter is demonstrated in chapter 18 of ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ where it is mentioned “Well, you and me got sense. Them goddamn Okies hot no sense and no feeling. They ain’t human...They ain’t a hell of a lot...
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...The Grapes of Wrath The Grapes of Wrath is not an ordinary book, Steinbeck contrast normal chapters and intercalary chapters to depict the relationship between American farmers at that time and the Joad’s family. The story takes place during the Great Depression in the 1930’s. Steinbeck also used intercalary chapters to portray the impact of the Dust Bowl, reform in agricultural industry, Great Depression, and the effect that large corporations had on the rural farm families. Throughout the intercalary chapters, Steinbeck uses many rhetorical devices such as syntax, diction, and parallelism to create a tone or attitude of how the midwestern farmers were mistreated and to make readers feel the emotion that the midwestern farmers were going through back then....
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...farmers kept plowing and planting with gradually dreary outcomes. In the years 1930 and 1931, Oklahoma and Texas panhandles were known as the wealthiest states in the country. For plains farmers, the era opened with prosperity and growth. In the summer of 1931, the farmers challenged the most difficult eight years of their lives. The rain was finally over. It took a thousand years for Nature to build an inch of topsoil on the Southern Plains, but it took only minutes for one good blow to sweep it all away. The water level of lakes dropped by five feet or more and the wind picked up the dry soil that had nothing to hold it down. Black clouds of dust started to splotch out the sun. There are some places where dust glided like snow, making the sky dark for days, covering well-sealed homes with thick layers of dust on everything. Dust storms overcame entire towns. The main...
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...Daniel xxxxxxxxx Professor xxxxx History 102 5/17/2015 The Dust Bowl During the 1930’s our country was going through some tough times economically which was known as the “Great Depression”. To make things worse the farmland of America was experiencing what became known as the dust bowl. The Dust Bowl lasted for about a decade and it significantly impacted the southern plains. The northern plains were not hit as hard, but they still experienced major drought, strong winds and saw a big decline in their agricultural industry. The Dust Bowl is also responsible for many Americans leaving and moving from the southern plains. For nearly 10 years a yellowish brown dust from the southern plains and a black wall of dust from the northern plains swept through the heart of our country. This made everyday life in this region extremely difficult. Simple acts such as breathing, eating, and even talking while walking were no longer so simple. Mothers were forced to make their children wear dust mask to and from school, wet sheets were hung in front of windows in an effort to stop the dirt from entering their homes. Many farmers were defeated and slowly watched all their crops blow away (About the Dust Bowl). It was best stated by John Steinbeck in the novel “The Grapes of Wrath” “And then the dispossessed were drawn west from Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico; from Nevada and Arkansas, families, tribes, dusted out, tractored out. Car loads, caravans, homeless and hungry; twenty thousand...
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...Dust Bowls 1930s and 1940s Introduction The dust bowls of the ‘dirty thirties’[1] hurt and helped our nation. They cost us not only currency, but in lives, land, and social instability. Years before, the world has just gotten out of a huge economically depression, and right around the corner, another World War would insure. Beginning of the Events The Great Depression did wonders and caused a lot of problems for the American republic, and the rest of the world. This caused farmers to rush west for the land that became available. This, in turn, caused a great increase in wheat. The price of wheat increased and that meant more profit was made. The land practices became crude, and the same plant planted in the same place ruined...
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...Introduction Written by John Steinbeck in 1939, “The Grapes of Wrath” is an in-depth look at how economic forces of the time had a tragic effect on the lives of the working class. The story and examples of the five economic structures are told, as the Joad family travels to seek a new life in California. The novel details how the economic changes that were taking place impacted the Joads and the people of Oklahoma, making them desperate to find a new life. Forced from their homes and land, they hoped that migrating west would allow them to find work, allowing them to provide for their families. Steinbeck shows in detail how economic forces and externalities, can affect the lives of individuals, families, communities, and the nation. While...
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... It was last year when the news spread about the opportunity that lied in the wild west. You know, the land, the riches, and opportunities. Right around then my family was suffering in the south after the economy crashed, our money was completely worthless! The living was much too crowded for my taste. The thought of a better life ahead for my two young children overwhelmed me with hope. We packed our bags as fast as possible. My family was fortunate enough to afford a train ticket. Railroads first started after the shame of the civil war. A time period we know as reconstruction. These railroads provided fast, safe and easy transportation to the wild frontier. When we arrived we received land from the homestead act and ever since, life has been pretty much ideal. Ideal except for the extreme weather, it wasn't at all the same as the south. Brutally hot summers and unbearable winters, we barely got through! I’ll never forget our first tornado, my wife almost fainted, we managed to bunker down in our sod house. Smart right? We were forced to build shelter with sod since there were barely any trees. This sod house protected us from tornados and the dreaded cicadas, they ate all of my crops! Don't get me wrong, the west is pretty great. However, it is not all forgiving. After the cicadas ate my crops, I had to replant. To be honest, they weren't growing that well in the first place. Though, I had heard about a new invention that was invented for dry western farming. Some sort of wind...
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...In The Grapes of Wrath, the Dust Bowl hit the Great Pains where dust storms destroyed agriculture and farms. Vegetation did not get enough water because irrigation and dry land farming techniques did not work. Since farmers could not produce food because of the drought, many were kicked off the land with no money, and went looking for jobs. This quote fits within the narrative because this little story discusses the typical life of a family in the Great Plains who lost their job because of the Dust Bowl. The point of the book was to explain the hardships of this time period through the eyes of a family who is dealing with them. This quote is important because it underscores the difficulties that the farmers and their families are experiencing...
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...Picture yourself not being able to shower for months or having to drive for about an hour to shower. These are some of the hardships residents of East Porterville are experiencing due to the extreme water drought. As a matter of fact there are multiple cities in California that are facing these hardships. How can the government and it’s people prevent this drought to worsen or expand to the rest of our country. Resident of East Porterville, Angelica Gallegos declared that she has gone five months without showering due to the drought her city is going through (Source two). This is all due to the fact that water ground reserves have been exploited without regulations or consideration of future water needs. Jerry Cadagan, resident in Stanislaus County, says “‘You’ve got to put reasonable restrictions so people are only pumping out a reasonable amount of water that underlies their land’” (Source three). He is now suing farmers for taking water from his property and getting more than they need. Water drought has also affected the unemployment rate for cities in which farming is the main source of jobs. Bob Zimmerer, owner of Zim Industries, has had to let go of many employees because of the water drought. This is another direct consequence of what is happening now without groundwater regulation (Source three). In addition to farmers losing their jobs, food prices are increasing and its supply reducing, which are both bad for the economy. California’s farmers believe that the percentage...
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... “The best laid schemes Of Mice and Men often go askew.” is a great quote that sums up Of Mice and Men and is from the poem, To A Mouse. The story, Of Mice and Men takes place in California during the great depression. George and Lennie are farm laborers who are searching for work. The have one dream that propels them forward is to own a house and live off the fatta’ the land. John Steinbeck used many sneaky ways at hinting about future events. He used foreshadowing when the farm dream was dead, when Curley’s wife died and when Lennie died. One way Steinbeck used foreshadowing was with the farm dream being dead, an example of this is when George stops his fantasy. The author states, in doc C, “ Listen to the rain commin’ down on the roof… Nuts! I ain’t got no time for more.” This explains that George realizes this dream may not happen, and stops his vision in disappointment. Another way Steinbeck used foreshadowing was when Crooks made a comment about how crazy Lennie’s dream was. The author states on doc C, “I’ve seen hundreds of men walk these paths… and they never ever reach their goal.” This is saying that Crooks has seen a lot of people try and get land but they never do. Why are George and Lennie any different? The farm dream had many clues to never working out, George and Crooks only said a few things. Another way Steinbeck hinted an upcoming event in the book, was when Curley’s wife died. Curley’s wife said her hair was soft like mice, and Lennie kills mice. The author...
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...Therefore, in the third paragraph, Steinbeck uses asyndeton when listing the roadways that connect to this highway. It is significant to mention all these places to demonstrate that several different societies are all coming together to try and achieve the same goal. However, the Joad family may not realize this is a negative asset yet because they are focused on themselves and their survival. But, the audience is aware that this undesirable because of all the competition. The audience is now sympathetic because they know not everyone who completes the journey is going to be rewarded with a job and a source of income. Therefore, this demonstrates Steinbeck's purpose of proving how his chapters set up his later ones, emphasizing that competition and overpopulation allow...
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...The Okies/Migrants The Dust Bowl was a time of hard work, sacrifice, and most of all: sadness. The Dust Bowl occurred in the 1930's and was a time of great depression when droughts had struck the Great Plains in America. These droughts dramatically effected farmers in Oklahoma and Texas, and other neighboring areas, and eventually lead to farmers being forced off of their land in search of work in the West (“History”). These farmers who migrated to the West were formally known as “Okies”, a nickname given to them by Californians. Therefore, the Okies played a significant role during the dust bowl due to the incredible amounts of people who migrated to places, such as California, the hardships they experienced during the Dust Bowl era, and the long journey it took to find work in the West. Certainly, Okies experienced the most heartache and difficulties during the period of the severe droughts that struck America. Something that really catches the eye...
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...The Dust Bowl Many events occurred during the twentieth century, one of the events that occurred during the 1930’s was The Dust Bowl, it The Dust Bowl Many events occurred during the twentieth century, one of the events that occurred during the 1930’s was The Dust Bowl, it was also known as The Dirty Thirties. The Dust Bowl started in 1931 and did not end until 1939. It got it’s name by a name news reporter after Black Sunday. Black sunday was by far the worst dust storm that had occurred during the entire Dust Bowl. Many people believe families did flee during the Dust Bowl. As a matter of fact, many families did not flee their homes. They had no money. How would they have bought a new home? Many news reporters recall...
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...John Steinbeck was born in 1902 in Salinas, California, a region that became the setting for much of his fiction, including Of Mice and Men. As a teenager, he spent his summers working as a hired hand on neighboring ranches, where his experiences of rural California and its people impressed him deeply. In 1919, he enrolled at Stanford University, where he studied intermittently for the next six years before finally leaving without having earned a degree. For the next five years, he worked as a reporter and then as caretaker for a Lake Tahoe estate while he completed his first novel, an adventure story called Cup of Gold, which was published in 1929. Critical and commercial success did not come for another six years, when Tortilla Flat was published in 1935, at which point Steinbeck was finally able to support himself entirely with his writing. In his acceptance speech for the 1962 Nobel Prize in literature, Steinbeck said: . . . the writer is delegated to declare and to celebrate man’s proven capacity for greatness of heart and spirit—for gallantry in defeat, for courage, compassion and love. In the endless war against weakness and despair, these are the bright rally flags of hope and of emulation. I hold that a writer who does not passionately believe in the perfectibility of man has no dedication nor any membership in literature. Steinbeck’s best-known works deal intimately with the plight of desperately poor California wanderers, who, despite the cruelty of their circumstances...
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...doesn’t learn from his mistakes. In the first chapter the descriptions of both Lennie and George are displayed to introduce them; ‘A huge man, shapeless’ (page 20). From this description of Lennie it conveys to the reader that he is lifeless. This lifelessness could suggest that Lennie isn’t happy and is reflected upon how he walks as well as how he represents himself. The reasons why Lennie may feel upset could be due to the Great Depression and the Dust bowl. The Great Depression lead to 15 million people unemployed and the Dust bowl happened when people over farmed which lead to crops not growing. However from chapter 1 it conveys Lennie and George as being poor due to what they wear; ‘demin trousers and in demin coats with brass buttons’ (page 19). Wearing demin in the 1940s indicated people being in the poor working class. The reason for this is because demin is hard wearing so it will last a long time which is useful for workers. The Great Depression would have mostly affected the middle and upper class. The Dust bowl would have massively affected Lennie and George because a series of droughts lead to many farms no longer being able to operate. This would have meant it would be extremely hard for Lennie and George to find a job. Furthermore, people heard that in California the soil was still good and there was plenty of room and opportunities for work. This may have been one reason why Lennie and George went to Soledad ranch (the other reason was because Lennie tried...
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