The Second Westward Migration The monsters came; they came to reclaim the land. The monsters are how the banks are referred to in John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath. The novel is a great example of how the industrialization impacted society, following the Joad family’s hardships on their move west. The industrialization of agricultures biggest impact on American society was the forced migration of marginalized populations from the dust bowl. “The owners of the land came on to the land, or more often a spokesman for the owners came.” (Steinbeck pg. 42). When the banks came to claim their land back the Joad family had no choice, they had to move west in hope of finding work. This is the same for numerous families and people in Oklahoma.