The Effects Of Industrialization On Society In The Grapes Of Wrath

Throughout history, people have had to experience change. Wars, genocide, and climate change are perceived as the forefronts of this idea. Many people overlook the effects of industrialization on society. The novel, The Grapes of Wrath, written by John Steinback, encompasses a tale of a farming family, the Joads, and their journey to a new life. In the beginning of the novel, the Joads lived on their family farm in Oklahoma. This farm had sustained their family for generations. Once tractors were invented, and a dust bowl ruined last year's crops, the banks engulfed small family farms. The Joads eventually were forced off of their land. They decided to sell all of their belongings and move to California. They persevere through many hardships

Once they left Oklahoma, they had to deal with many deaths, sicknesses, as well as other calamities. Right after the Joads left Oklahoma, Grandpa died because of a stroke. Shortly after, Grandma died. Once they got to California, the overall health of the migrants was poor. Chapter 25, recounts that the farmers wasted thousands of pounds of food. They did this while hundreds of families were starving because they could not find a stable income which made them unable to afford food. California also impacted the Joads’ mental health. On page 273 it says, “He went to get drunk”. Uncle John went to get drunk because he could not cope with the mental agony he suffered during his wife’s death. Life in California provoked what is most likely Uncle John’s PTSD because life there is extremely

Throughout the novel, the Joads, along with hundreds of other families, received handbills that advertised all of the job opportunities in California. They came to find out that they were sent to too many people. There was a surplus of migrant workers and not enough jobs. This resulted in people competing for jobs, which meant that they would work for a lower pay rate than the other person. Eventually, the pay rate dwindled to the point where one could not make enough money to eat. This meant that one person with a job absolutely could not sustain a family. In Chapter 28, The Joads move to pick cotton. The Joads were paid by the pound. They discovered that the scales were rigged. They counteracted this by putting clumps of dirt in their bags. This was the only time in California when the Joads could afford “good food”. Pick cotton came to an end though because it's seasonal. Once there's no cotton left to pick they have to find something else. They had tried picking peaches before cotton. The living conditions while picking peaches were outrageous and inhumane. The family was paid five cents a box and after the first day, they had only made one dollar. They spent it on food for that night and it wasn't enough to fill them. The wages per box were eventually cut in half which made it impossible for the family to sustain itself. The Joads live in a constant struggle to afford food in California. In Oklahoma, the Joads always had