The Grapes of WrathEssay Preview: The Grapes of WrathReport this essayThe Grapes of Wrath consists of many emotions that readers the readers can detect due to their struggles. As their journey continues, Ma and Tom Joad speak of what they expect California to be like upon their arrival, what they fear to be disappointed by, and what they hope to experience in their new lives. Their conversation begins with Ma questioning, “Tom, I hope things is all right in CaliforniaSeems to nice, kinda” (p.122). as it unravels, Ma expresses her concerns of all the promises of work in the papers to turn out false. Although employers make it seem as if there are an abundance of jobs, Ma does not want to be disappointed to find a downside to all the boasting. The Joads continue traveling and are pleasantly surprised when they come in contact with a man who tells them of work in a town called Pixely. Overcome with joy, they begin dreaming of the things they would be able to do if the men in the family were bringing home enough money. “Maybe I can get some credit right offWe might get a house, pay rent even, for a couple months” (p.499). Hopes of having a good source of income bring great happiness to the Joad family.
The theme of this book, the American Dream, is evident throughout the entire novel. The theme is significant to this book due to the fact that the characters express certain feelings that the reader is able to sense. The Joad family travels from Oklahoma to California in search of a new beginning, far from the Dust Bowl and depression. When the protagonist of the book, Tom Joad, arrives at his Oklahoma home after being released from jail, he is surprised to find it completely empty. “He looked into the barn shed, deserted…Joad paused at the entrance to the tool-shed leanto, and no tools were there” (p.54). After realizing that the inhabitants of Oklahoma had fled to California, he decided to find his family. The author describes, “A half-million people moving over the country; a million more restive, ready to move” (p.207). The theme of the American Dream is important to The Grapes of Wrath book because readers can vicariously experience the struggle of moving to a state for a promising future, through the eyes of the characters.
Possibly the most important character, Tom Joad, is introduced to readers at the beginning of the novel, when he is released from jail after serving four years. He keeps to himself throughout the novel and has devoted his time to living day by day. He is sensitive towards the topic of killing another individual due to the time he spent in jail. “I felt that knife go in me, an that sobered me up…they was this here shovel leanin against the schoolhouse, so I grabbed it an smacked im over the head” (p.73). After meeting a former preacher named Jim Casy, Toms perspective on life changed drastically. He works on committing his energies to others to help them create a better future. Jim Casy is
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Alfreya, Marge, Marge and Maggie are in high school in Portland, Ore.
Alfreya is a college student. She spends her days playing at an art show with a friend. She wants to be part of something bigger. When we meet in school, her father tells her she’s going away. Maggie believes in a future she wasn’t so sure about. A few years later, she receives a “welcome letter” from a boy. There’s no news so she follows the story for awhile to get to know a certain young man and his life. I would consider that an appropriate story, but as you are aware, it’s not my idea of a classic story. I just wanted to get this one in the hands of a reader who is willing to give it a try.
I love the whole book as a whole. The first time I read it, I was so hooked that I didn’t mind a little bit, even though the action is really fast-paced with a lot of twists and turns. But when you read it, you get the picture. It’s a very different story. But now that the story is set in Salem, the first major plot twist occurs. It starts out as a normal family getting lost in their home town. The couple is traveling to Salem, Oregon to spend a month together where the children learn about Salem’s history and culture, including the rise and fall of Tom Joad and Maggie. To my surprise, they learn about Tom Joad’s past and history of violent and anti-Christian actions during his prison time. The story is about an incident that started in the late 1800s when he left for Chicago, Illinois, at the age of 17. Before he left, he had started selling his property, but by the time his son took a job in the lumber industry at a Chicago plant, he was going about his business without a permit. The family got very upset this would happen, until the parents noticed and made an arrest for being out of town. After a little investigation, the father said he was about to shoot a young man who had been doing a lot of wrong deeds. The family filed a police report, and Tom Joad was arrested again. This time, Jim was charged with assault. In this case the defense said the police had misheard one of the witnesses who had been there but did not know it was Jim who was involved at the time. So, Jim plead guilty and was sentenced to twenty years in prison. The rest of the family was free to live the rest of their lives.
In Salem, Tom and Maggie