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Unity And Selflessness In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath

687 Words3 Pages

People face challenges and obstacles every day. This truth is timeless and remains valid for all. One particularly difficult time period in American history, that inflicted challenging conditions on all classes of society, is the Great Depression. During the Great Depression, the stock market crashed, causing many to lose their jobs. Immediately following this crash, The Dust Bowl occurred, causing crop failure, ruining the land. John Steinbeck communicates, through the Joad family, in his historical fiction, The Grapes of Wrath, the struggles migrants encountered during America’s unforgettable Great Depression, and contrasts the animalist instinct to survive with those of unity and selflessness, to evoke a response in the reader. Migrants, …show more content…

Steinbeck makes use of a general chapter that explains the experiences of all migrants to describe how “the twenty families became one family… the loss of home became one loss, and the golden times in the West was one dream” (193). The unification of the migrants shows how similarities between people, especially those struggling, leads to the overall formation of a group that aids each other through the challenges of life to survive. Steinbeck introduces this unification to encourage ideas about helping others and …show more content…

Not only are the migrants left to survive flooding without real shelter other than car homes and tents, but also, they must survive without medical attention for a birth. In this stressful situation, Pa asks the other migrants for help in securing an embankment to delay the flooding, allowing the baby to be born. Although one man interjects with “It ain’t our baby. We kin go,” Pa continues unaffected, having faith that his fellow migrants will aid in a time of need (Steinbeck 441). He goes to the embankment and begins the task while migrants follow to help secure safety for the expected baby, which unfortunately is born dead. Willingly though, the migrants offer their help to Pa, contrasting the selfishness of one migrant

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The tone of chapter 11 in John Steinbeck's, “The Grapes of Wrath,” is sympathetic, sad and hopeless. His word choice and syntax show how the sad houses were left to decay in the weather. His use of descriptive words paints a picture in the reader's mind. As each paragraph unfolds, new details come to life and adds to the imagery. While it may seem unimportant, this intercalary chapter shows how the effects of the great depression affected common households.

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The Intercalary Chapter Of The Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck

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Steinbeck’s uses the intercalary chapters to describe the migrant’s meaningful struggle. “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”(p.205). Steinbeck uses this chapter to describe how the farmers may be dying of starvation, but they are dying for a cause that defines them, and will dye to save those they care for, in order to get what they deserve in the future. Humanity would not improve or grow stronger against evil if they gave up on fighting for their cause. Steinbeck uses this chapter to show the struggle and fight of all the people, and shows how the Joads too, are fighting toward a goal that mankind dying

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Community, so close to Steinbeck’s heart, is exaggerated in every possible way in this novel. In an eloquent way, he molds the reader’s hearts to believe that a communal soul (or oversoul) is best for the people as well. Truly, the language and rhetoric applied in order to encourage this philosophy is unlike any other writing by Steinbeck, or any other socialist writer for that

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Diction In The Grapes Of Wrath

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John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath is a classic American novel that shows the difficulties migrant workers had to go through during the Great Depression. The novel’s intercalary chapters use setting, syntax and other literary elements to depict the hardships that migrant families went through and to create a tone of despair in the story. Body Paragraph 1: By using both syntax and diction, Steinbeck develops a tone of despair in the Intercalary Chapter 25 of the grapes of wrath.

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John Steinbeck, in the novel, Grapes of Wrath, identifies the hardships and struggle to portray the positive aspects of the human spirit amongst the struggle of the migrant farmers and the devastation of the Dust Bowl. Steinbeck supports his defense by providing the reader with imagery, symbolism and intense biblical allusions. The author’s purpose is to illustrate the migrant farmers in order to fully exploit their positive aspects in the midst of hardships. Steinbeck writes in a passionate tone for an audience that requires further understanding of the situation.

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The Great Depression was a time of serious plight and hardship for families across the world, but was especially gruesome in the United States. During this time the Southern region of the United States suffered from a severe drought that lasted for six years and due to poor agricultural practices alongside gusty winds, large dust storms were able to form. The novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is set during this time and follows the journey of the farming family the Joads. As readers follow the family of twelve on their journey to California, a place they referred to as the “promised land,” there are many parallels made to the Bible. Steinbeck's use of Biblical allusions throughout the novel illustrates Joad's resilience to survive

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In The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck follows the Joad family as they suffer the hardships caused by the Dust Bowl in the 1930’s. The most important lesson people can learn from the novel is the value of a human life. Although the 1930’s was a low point in American society, the ill-treatment of human beings is still relevant today. Just like Jim Casy’s philosophy, it is important to fight for the rights of the people and their dignity. There are several examples of oppression in The Grapes of wrath.

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Survival In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath

1492 Words | 6 Pages

It is not like day dreaming, but a hope for future. This dream is fuel for every one’s survival during this wilderness, their hope for ‘new land’ here new land refer for new life and a fresh start. Because, “because they had all come from a place of sadness and worry and defeat, and because they were all going to a new mysterious place, they huddled together; they talked together; they shared their lives, their food, and the things they hoped for in the new country” (Grapes of Wrath 202).Steinbeck says, the family togetherness seemed twenty family is one family and the children were the children of all they all share one dream. Togetherness gives new technique, and leader, and laws and codes, building themself for future, “the rules become laws, although no one told the families” (Grapes of Wrath 203). Cars moved westward each members of the family grew into their proper place, and to their duties, “when the car pulled into the camping place, each member had his duty and went to it without instruction” (Grapes of Wrath

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