Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is both a historical andliterary depiction of the lives of California migrant workers who becamevictims to the dry spells that plagued the Dust Bowl regions (Kansas,Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado) during the 1930s. The novel,through the lead characters, Tom Joad and his family, Steinbeck illustratedlife of Oklahomans who migrated to California in search for work andliving. However, the Joad family's life served as the 'symbol'representing all California migrant workers during the period. This isbecause the novel actually discusses the conflict between the Californiamigrant workers (protagonist) and the white American society (antagonist).Moreover, the novel is also a display of conflict between poverty andwealth, as American society shifts from being an agricultural to urban.Conflict between the migrant workers and white Americans
Tom's dialogue with hismother in Chapter 26 shows the use of metaphor, tone, and mood of the novelwhen he said, "I'll be around in the dark. This realization surfaced asthey neared and arrived at the state: "Tom looked about the grimy tents,the junk equipment, at the old cars, the lumpy mattresses out in the sun,at the blackened cans on fire-blackened holes where the people cooked"(286). However, hopes for his family's good fortune in theirnew life led to disillusionment when he witnessed the 'sorry' state ofmigrants in and the 'ugliness' of California. In illustrating the plight of the Joad family, Steinbeck used variousliterary techniques that effectively depict the social realities of thedifficulties experienced by the migrant workers. I'll be everywhere-wherever youlook. The novel, through the Joadfamily's character, was able to capture the social realities of the migrantworker, who live a life of poverty in the midst of urbanization, and socialdiscrimination in a time of national crisis (dry spells). Hyperbole reflects the firstpart of the statement, while imagery ("tattered feverish Americans") isillustrated in the second part. His disillusionment and becoming a fugitive built in him both angerand resolution-anger for being discriminated, and resolution to fight forthe migrant workers' rights ("Wherever they's a fight so hungry people caneat, I'll be there. The inevitable conflict that discrimination among migrant workersfinally led to Tom's downfall, when he was (wrongfully) accused of killingCasy.
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