...Personalities of the Grapes of Wrath In any good story the author uses the characters to further develop the story. A great example of this is in the novel The Grapes of Wrath. The characters of Tom Joad, Ma Joad and Jim Casey provide different characteristics to expand the plot; Tom provides a sense of practicality to the story, Ma is strong, and Jim Casey shows leadership qualities. These characteristics foreshadow the character’s destiny in the story. In John Steinbeck’s proletarian novel, The Grapes of Wrath, his early descriptions of and dialogue for Tom, Ma and Jim Casey establish their personalities and futures. The main character Tom Joad is best described as practical. When Tom was in prison he learned the valuable lesson of taking one day at a time. Ma Joad explains it best when she says "You can't go thinkin' when you're gonna be out. You'd go nuts. You got to think about that day, an' then the nex' day, about the ball game Sat'dy….Jus' take ever'day." (91). An example of Tom being practical was just before the Joads and Jim Casey left for California and they were trying to figure out a way to get Granpa to go. Tom...
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...In the novel ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ written by John Steinbeck the Joad family comes across many trials and tribulations and Ma Joad manifests herself as the strongest, controlled, generous, and altruistic person in the novel. Ma Joad is the mother of Noah Joad, Sharon of Rose, Tom Joad, Al Joad, Ruthie Joad, and Winfield Joad and wife to Old Tom Joad. Tom notices Ma Joad’s eyes show experiences of everything and those experiences made her become strong. Ma shows impeccable strength throughout the novel in many different situations. She keeps her family together throughout the excursion from Oklahoma west to California. The environment in ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ affects Ma Joad by it making her pull her family together and become the leader....
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...The Grapes of Wrath is primarily a story about the Joads, an all-American farming family, and their journey westward, but through the use of inter chapters, the novel also depicts the hardships faced by the general population during the Great Depression. These chapters are added to give more detail and history about the economic and familial circumstances simple people must go through. The use of inter-chapters in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath adds to the novel stylistically, thematically, and symbolically by allowing readers to experience the struggles of average American families and relating those situations back to the Joads. Steinbeck’s use of inter-chapters add to the novel stylistically by using them as a foreshadowing technique. In chapter 7, it says “Squirt in a couple quarts of sawdust. Put some in the gears, too. We got to move that lemon for thirty-five dollars” (). Steinbeck is telling the readers about corrupt car salesmen who tamper with cars to take advantage of desperate families for profit. This chapter is foreshadowing the events in chapter 16 when the Wilson family’s car breaks down and the Joads stay back to help them. Another example is chapter 9 foreshadowing the...
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...bog56269.app.qxd 7/23/03 1:01 PM Page A-1 APPENDIX Writing a Film Analysis Films are made to be seen and heard, to appeal to our visual and aural senses. Like any art form, however, films are also meant to be felt and understood, to appeal to our emotions and minds. One of the best ways to determine whether a film has succeeded in any or all of these goals is to analyze the elements that make up the whole work. To write an analysis of a film, you must study the film carefully. Your critical analysis should be derived from your personal encounter with the film, not from published criticism. Access to a videocassette recorder or DVD player is essential if you are going to perform a critical analysis of any depth. It is not enough to like or dislike the movie; you must determine why it succeeds or fails in reaching out and encompassing the viewer. The first step is to view the film in its entirety. From this viewing you can get an initial reaction to the many parts of the film that you will have to explore in more depth. When you first view the film, it is best not to try to take notes or separate the parts of the film; you should be familiar with the textbook in order to know what to look for. After you have formulated a thesis and have begun the process of supporting that thesis, you should view the film at least once more in its entirety and two or three times in segments in order to review scenes of major importance. The thesis statement is the element around which to...
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...The Grapes of Wrath (1940) When Darryl Zanuck was chosen as the executive producer for The Grapes of Wrath, eyebrows were raised. Zanuck, then head of Twentieth Century Fox, was considered politically conservative and therefore an odd choice as the executive producer (Ebert). In fact, Zanuck was nervous about the left-wing political views of the novel, and due to common "red-baiting," he sent a private investigator to Oklahoma in hopes of legitimizing the novel's contents (Levy). John Ford, also politically conservative, was hired as the film's director. Ford, who was not as concerned as Zanuck about the novel's liberal content said, "The whole thing appealed to me–being about simple people–and the whole story was similar to the famine of...
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...H. Tharp The Unspoken Truth about John Steinbeck’s Legacy in Monterey County John Ernst Jr. Steinbeck is one of the most respected and honored American writers among our society today. In many classrooms around the world, his books are still mandated as reading requirements and there are many museums and centers dedicated to this esteemed author. John Steinbeck has won numerous awards for his books, most notably the Pulitzer Prize for his fictional novel, The Grapes of Wrath in 1940, and the Nobel Prize in literature in 1962 based on his entire body of work. Steinbeck’s other awards, which are typically less known are included in the following chart: WORK | YEAR | AWARD | MEDIUM | “The Murder” | 1934 | O. Henry Award | Print | Tortilla Flat | 1935 | Commonwealth Club of California Gold Medal for Best Novel by a Californian | Print | In Dubious Battle | 1936 | Ibid | Print | Of Mice and Men | 1938 | N.Y Drama Critic’s Circle Award | Play | “The Promise” | 1938 | O. Henry Award | Print | Of Mice and Men | 1939 | American Bookseller’s Award | Print | LifeBoat | 1944 | Academy Award nominee for Best Story | Print | A Medal for Benny | 1945 | Ibid | Print | The Moon is Down | 1946 | King Haakon Liberty Cross | Print | Viva Zapata! | 1952 | Academy Award nominee for Best Original Screenplay | Play | N/A | 1963 | Honorary Consultant in American Literature to the Library of Congress | N/A | N/A | 1964 | U.S Medal of Freedom; Press Medal of Freedom | N/A...
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...Oyibo 1 Onye Oyibo Mr. Cannon English III AP March 5th, 2014 The Grapes of Wrath Research Paper Throughout the Grapes Of Wrath, author John Steinbeck incorporates an adequate amount of Realism as well as Romanticism within his novel. Although these philosophies are brought upon the audience, Steinbeck prominently bases of The Grapes of Wrath upon a substantial use of Artistic Romanticism, through the similarity between the themes as well literally devices. Steinbeck stress the use of literally devices throughout the novel which establishes The Grapes of Wrath philosophy of Artistic Romanticism and Realism. Artistic Romanticism is based upon the romantic viewpoint of a particular outlook on the relations among God, Nature, and the individual manifested meaning. Throughout the novel of “Romanticism and Transcendentalism” the author is capable of unveiling the abstract meaning behind the philosophies of Romanticism. Romanticism was an not just an artistic movement but also, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution (Holman, Hugh M. "Definitions of Romanticism."). In literature, Romanticism has been found through recurrent themes of advocating criticism of the past. As well as in the novel (Phillips, Jerry, Andrew Ladd, and Michael Anesko. Romanticism and Transcendentalism) the author touches base on multiple in-depth examples and meaning of...
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...after his family moved there in 1911.Floyd was in and out of prison for most of his life and even though Floyd pledged never to steal again when was 18, he could not resist and went on to become notorious for robbing banks throughout the Midwest. Floyd was often protected by the locals and was similar to “Robin Hood.” He was finally found and killed by FBI agents in 1934. Through the story of Purty Boy Floyd, John Steinbeck uses his novel The Grapes of Wrath to illustrate that the prison system hurts the individuals instead of rehabilitating them. The story of Floyd is connected to the allegory of the prison system in a variety of ways throughout chapter 8. Ma Joad begins speaking of the prison system by asking Tom if prison made him “mad” like Floyd. She asks him, “You ain’t poisoned mad? You don’t hate nobody? They didn’t do nothin in that jail to rot you out with crazy mad?”(98) This is indicating how her fear of prison changes a man and Ma Joad also tells Tom that she knew Floyd's mother and according to her, prison made Floyd worse than he was before. Ma loved Tom and feared that his prison stay may have changed him into someone she didn't know at all. Ma Joad’s speech to Tom clearly had a great deal of pity and some admiration for Floyd. She says he was treated like an animal, “They shot at him like a varmint, an’ he shot back, an’ they run him like a coyote, an’ his a-snappin’ and a-snarlin’, mean as lobo” (98). Many Oklahomans would agree with Ma joad that through...
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...The Grapes of Wrath a well-known classic by John Steinbeck was published in 1939, and before it was published, migrant workers were living in very harsh conditions in several parts of the United States. The Grapes of Wrath is about an Oklahoma Dust Bowl family, the Joads, who suffer various hardships while migrating to California. The Dust Bowl was a period of time in the 1930s where harsh droughts led to severe dust storms which ruined million acres of prairie land in America. This story tells us the plight of all those migrants during the Great Depression through the perspective of the Joad family. In The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck uses intercalary chapters to provide background for the various themes of the novel, as well as to set the tone. Steinbeck’s previous book had bought him much success and Steinbeck did not want his success to weaken his commitment to the intellectual goals of his writing. So later, he embarked upon a trip from Oklahoma to California with a group of migrant workers. He worked and lived alongside them in a work camp in California. His experience was the inspiration for this novel. The story begins just after Tom Joad is released on parole from McAlester prison for homicide. On his journey to his home in Oklahoma, he meets former preacher Jim Casy whom he remembers from his childhood and the two travel together. He finds out his family has been evacuated from their land and are leaving for California. Tom and Casy join them. Going west on Route 66...
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...Course: Date: Shattered American Dream Every immigrant has a dream, a vision full of hope expecting to make it wherever he goes. In grapes of wrath, they had this vision too. “[People are] movin’ ‘cause they got to. That’s why [we] folks always move. Movin’ cause [we] want somepin better’n what [we] got” (Steinbeck, 128). The American dream was seen as a simple concept by the immigrants in the Grapes of Wrath. According to them, “You can reach anywhere and pick an orange” (Steinbeck, 34). They thought they will just go to California and get plenty of jobs for everyone and get rich. This is highlighted in page 34,”there’s work there and it never gets cold”. What the immigrants did not know was that finding an ideal life in the west was nearly impossible. Additionally, those who were looking for an ideal life were corrupted by the system. In his book, Steinbeck said that the attainment of the American dream was nearly impossible due to the economic instability and constant government interference. The Joads found unpredictable jobs in California (Ownby 73). They failed to achieve the American dream and so they did not succeed in California. Before they migrated from Oklahoma, the Joads had a good life. They had land, a home and money. Their migration was fuelled by their hopes of finding success and a better life in California. The Grapes of Wrath is set during the great depression. The great depression was a result of the inaction by the federal government which led to failing...
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...John Steinbeck uses the character of Ma Joad to emphasize the theme of matriarchal to patriarchal society in the Grapes of Wrath. Ma is not only seen as the main leader of the family, but, the feeder as well. She is always taking care of everyone, because she doesn’t forget anyone. Steinbeck states, “Al took a paper bag from the seat. This here’s some bread an’ meat Ma sent, an’ I got a jug a water here. She don’t forget nobody, said Casy” (174). As the book progresses, Granma and Grandpa Joad die on the journey to California. Ma eventually has to take over the main role to keep everyone going and moving forward. Ma expresses her matriarchal role when talking to Granma: And Ma said over and over, “All right. It’s gonna be all right.” And she said hoarsely, “You know the family got to get acrost. You know that” (Steinbeck...
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...Oklahoma dialect of ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ and the telling words contained in article four of ‘The Harvest Gypsies’, it is evident Steinbeck is attesting to the deep struggles and obstacles migrant workers had experienced in the 1930s. John Steinbeck’s main point it seems, is to let the readers know and understand the extent of the migrant worker struggles and how it has taken a toll on simple things such as their dignity, self- confidence and ability to govern themselves. Steinbeck also goes on to give the readers the impression he strongly favors the construction of more Federal Government camps to assist the migrant workers during their current struggles. The struggles of migrant workers as portrayed...
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...produce a great classic. John Steinbeck epitomises these ideas in his realist novel The Grapes of Wrath by exploring the challenging and stark issues of; the powerlessness and perseverance of Okies, and the power of communities. Steinbeck successfully connects with respondents on a sensory and emotional level, through the utilization of various language techniques to illuminate respondents of the numerous socio-economic hardships the Okies were subjugated to in the late 1930s. Powerlessness comes about when an external force renders one into a state of mind where they feel that have limited control over their wellbeing, personal lives and the culture wherein they live. Steinbeck highlights the Joads powerlessness in “We tried to camp together, an` they drove us, like pigs. Scattered us. Beat the hell outta fellas. Druv us like pigs”. Through the use of simile of “pigs”, it highlights the inhumane mistreatment by the Banks, which have driven them out of their homes. This is further highlighted in the rhetorical question “The kids are hungry all the time. What do you want us to do?” Steinbeck conveys the difficult predicament the tenant farmers are put in by the landowners, who have subordinated the poor tenant farmers for more money. Thus, the farmers are placed in a vulnerable position provoking them to move to out of their houses. Furthermore, another force responsible for the Joads powerlessness is the weather, explicitly the sun. This is symbolised in “Their faces were...
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...what society was like during the Great Depression and all throughout the 1930’s. The Grapes of Wrath shows us what life was like for the average American in the 1930’s; put lightly, it was extremely bitter. The Joad family faced a countless number of issues throughout the movie, including poverty, drought, and house foreclosure. Contemporary society still faces some of the same issues. For instance, we still see steady rates of unemployment in America, as well as a distrust in the economy. Over the years, we have failed to learn that we must stick together as a society when times are at their worst. Consequently, these things will never change if we do not choose to make the change. As a society we must come together as one when faced with opposition....
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...The Grapes of Wrath directed by John Ford is a 1940 film based on the Pulitzer winning novel by John Steinbeck. It tells the story of the Joads who during the Great Depression in the 1930s were run off their farm in Oklahoma. The film details their journey to California in search of work and a new beginning for their family. This paper will relate the main character Tom Joad to the philosophies of Thomas Hobbes and his theory of the state of nature and government as an artificial creation, and Jim Casy to Jean Jacques Rousseau’s theory of government and society as inhibitors of our natural freedoms. The Grapes of Wrath Tom Joad, played by Henry Fonda in the 1940 drama film Grapes of Wrath, is the main character who opens the movie returning to his home in Oklahoma after serving four years in prison for manslaughter. On the way he runs into Jim Casy, the former preacher who warns Tom that most sharecroppers have been evicted due to the effects of the depression. Once finding his family’s farm deserted, he finds them at his uncle’s farm preparing to also leave the next day for California in hopes of finding work and a brighter future. As they begin their treacherous journey across Route 66, the Joads and Casy endure many hardships. Grandpa, who didn’t want to leave his land, dies and is buried alongside the road. Then they run into a man who informs them that there is no work in California, but with not feeling they had any other options, they carry on with hope that they...
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