The Meaning Of John Steinbeck's Grapes Of Wrath

Author’s have complete creative control over the words that they write. Although, some of the most controversial books are often banned from the open minds of young readers. One of the most controversial endings to have ever been written in American literature is the ending to Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Grapes of Wrath is a story of a family that has to abandon their life as they know it, and move west. The Grapes of Wrath chronicles the struggles of the Joad family as they leave their home in Sallisaw, Oklahoma to find work in California (WIlliams). This ending adds a new level to the whole novel. The ending is so powerful that it makes readers open their eyes to what is happening in the world around them. Three main messages

If the dust storms that turned daylight to darkness weren’t apocalyptic enough, seemingly biblical plagues of jackrabbits and grasshoppers descended on the Plains and destroyed whatever meager crops could grow (Klein). In order for a woman to suckle a grown man, there had to be no other options. There was no other option. It was either help this man or let him die. This represents the kind-heartedness of people. This family had nothing to their name, yet they sacrificed enough to save a man’s life. Steinbeck wrote every words of this ending with meaning. His words are more than just words. They are the beginning of a revolutionary movement. Steinbeck’s words open the eyes of the blind. The people who are not willy to see what is happening are forced to open their eyes. Steinbeck writes, “For a minute Rose of Sharon sat still in the whispering barn. Then she hoisted her tired body up and drew the comfort around her. She moved slowly to the corner and stood looking down at the wasted face, into the wide, frightened eyes. Then slowly she lay down beside him. He shook his head slowly from side to side.” It is impossible to put into words what Steinbeck put into

John Steinbeck composes these words in such a way that grabs the reader’s attention and refuses to let it go. Steinbeck's novels can all be classified as social novels dealing with the economic problems of rural labour, but there is also a streak of worship of the soil in his books, which does not always agree with his matter-of-fact sociological approach (Holister). The ending to John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, is one of the most controversial endings to have ever been written. The first message from the ending is that the world is blind. The world decided to turn its back on the majority of the world that was fighting to survive. The second message from the ending of this story is that there were no other options. The third message was that you had to be strong to survive. Giving up was not in that families vocabulary. Steinbeck’s word, although not great in quantity, made up in