Nature In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath

Red, gray, green, brown, pink, and white all varying from pale to a deep dark shaded color, invoking a whirlwind of colors, conjuring the image of a raging dust storm. In nature, people don’t always notice the small details such as individual colors. Authors have the favored talent of making these small details brighten in the eyes of their readers. Steinbeck, in particular, brings a reader to realize the specifics of the surrounding world. He shows how nature is a reflection of humans and how humans are a reflection of nature. As his characters in The Grapes of Wrath are frightened, their environment is frightened too. Just as a person pales when startled, their surroundings pale too. At the beginning of his story, the sky grows pale and the

It is also about witnessing human nature. Steinbeck uses his intercalary chapters to allow the reader to better connect with the people suffering through the situation in this time period. The reader may understand the facts about the struggles but Steinbeck lets his readers experience it. Though the Joad’s journey is eye opening, it is important to see life outside of one family. The reader finds himself sympathizing with the Joad’s but have not seen the parts of the story. In chapter 14, Steinbeck shows the view of the big owners. He shows the fear that creeps up upon them as the working people begin to unionize and rebel. It is human nature to push for your opinion to become a reality and that is what these farm owners were doing. “The great owners, nervous, sensing a change, knowing nothing of the nature of the change. The great owners, striking at the immediate thing, the widening government, the growing labor unity; striking at new taxes, at plans; not knowing these things are results, not causes.” (100) Now, rather than only seeing the owners through the biased lense of the Joads, the reader can also see the drive behind the owners who appear to be the villains of The Grapes of Wrath. It would be easy for Steinbeck to maintain a bias against the owners but he strives to help teach the logic behind all human decisions. He also shows the opposite side too, not just from the Joads. “Fear the time when the bombs stop falling while the bombers live—for every bomb is proof that the spirit has not died. And fear the time when the strikes stop while the great owners live—for every little beaten strike is proof that the step is being taken. And this you can know—fear the time when Manself will not suffer and die for a concept, for this one quality is the foundation of Manself, and this one quality is man, distinctive in the universe.” (101) Steinbeck furthers his ideas