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Industrialism In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath

558 Words3 Pages

Steinbeck’s involvement in watching and living in the vagrant camps stimulated his interest and gave content for The Grapes of Wrath. It also reveals Steinbeck’s sensitivity for the migrant workers who continued through hardships and separation on account of big business and the industrialist framework. “And now they were weary and frightened because they had gone against a system they did not understand and it had beaten them. They knew the team and the wagon were worth much more. They knew the buyer man would get much more, but they didn't know how to do it. Merchandizing was a secret to them.” (50) It was sought out to represent a social awareness with homeless individuals who were pounded by drought and gloom. The Grapes of Wrath was a plea for the area land owners of California to be more tolerant and the novel itself is told from the perspective of a vagrant family. Steinbeck was careful not to sentimentalize his characters, and condemns the capitalist mode of production. It turned a blind eye to all the nonwhite victims of the landowners and industrialism. The worker's part and reception of corporate values frequently override personal morality, as depicted by the tractor men in The Grapes of Wrath. "Three dollars a day. I got damn …show more content…

His novel In Dubious Battle (1936) brought attention to California migrants as did his articles for the San Francisco News. Each set of publications depicted the miserable conditions of the migrant camps. “"I never had my house pushed over," she said. "I never had my fambly stuck out on the road. I never had to sell – ever'thing – Here they come now." (77) To be able to completely understand the situation of the migrant workers, Steinbeck drove to Oklahoma to join the workers. He traveled with them, camped alongside the rode with them and accompanied them on the road to

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