The Grapes Of Wrath Rhetorical Analysis

The Dust Bowl, a series of severe dust storms in the the 1930’s, left the the southern plains of the United States as a wasteland. The storms occurred due to the lack of use of dryland farming techniques to prevent wind erosion. Powerful winds would pick up loose soil and carry it around the country side. Called “black blizzard” or “black rollers”, these storms had the potential to black out the sky completely. Due to the inability to grow and sell crops, banks evicted families and foreclosed their properties, leaving them homeless and without an income. The author of The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck, wrote his American realist novel to allow readers to understand the experiences of the migrants from the Dust Bowl era. Not many people

There are multiple times throughout the novel in which characters go out of their way to assist people they do not know. These character’s are showing compassion towards others during a time of misfortune and despair. When a man and his two sons enter the diner, they are clearly financially strained. The man requests to purchase a loaf of bread for less than the actual price. Mae, a woman working at the diner, was initially reluctant to give the man the discount, but her co-worker coaxed her into compliancy. She began to feel pity towards the man, and when he asked her for the price of the candy at the counter, Mae responded, “Oh--them. Well, no--them’s two for a penny” (Steinbeck 160). Mae knew the price of the candy was more than the man could afford, but she truly she wanted to help the man and his sons. Her actions symbolize how it is in the nature of humans to be kind and help each other in times of need, and helps create the compassionate tone throughout Steinbeck’s novel. However, Steinbeck included other situations, besides Mae’s magnanimity in the diner, in which other character’s actions also portray

The people affected by the destructive dust storms in the 1930’s were left without homes or incomes. Forced to travel west in search of employment, the migrants faced a wide variety of obstacles to overcome including hunger, shelter, and health. Due to these unfortunate circumstances, the expected outcome would be widespread chaos as people become desperate to protect and care for themselves and their families. However, the people of the Southwest instead came together and ensured the wellness and health of one another in their time of shared despair and