Steinbeck uses biblical allusions to warn the oppressors, those who lack compassion, that judgement day is coming. He uses people's situations, hardships and difficulties to show us the compassionate and the uncompassionate. Rose of Sharon a key character that shows that one has no excuse to why they cannot be kind.
A wasted journey where the Joads travel to a land of deceit. John Steinbeck began writing the Grapes of Wrath in a time of Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. He describes the Joads from Oklahoma, who began to embark on a journey where they become exploited by migrant workers in California. A place which was to be thought as there promised land. A land that was supposed to give them new hope in such a dark place in their life facing
…show more content…
Of course, California is not the Promised Land the Joads imagined. Noah is left behind and Moses (Rose’s Baby) is also dead. Someone similar to Jesus Christ, Jim Casey is murdered, leaving Tom to lead his people. They do not find work they were hoping to find, and begin to have difficulty eating and searching for food. There was no promise, the promise that would bring salvation to the Joads. Through those hardships they had to develop their own compassion and humanity. “What do you want us to do? We can't take less share of the crop – we're half starved now. The kids are hungry all the time. We got no clothes, torn an' ragged. If all the neighbors weren't the same, we'd be ashamed to go to meeting”. (Steinbeck) We can see the level of disrespect that has been brought to these people. “In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy for the vintage.” (Steinbeck) This is when the people were wasting food and judgement day is coming. People are becoming angry that many children are starving and instead of helping people they would rather watch them suffer. Steinbeck is warning us that this may cause a revolt against the people with higher power, and God's judgement will come