The Significance of the Title of The Grapes of Wrath

Elizabeth Hickert Hickert 1

The Significance in The Appellation of The Grapes of Wrath

John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, justifies its title within the tale. This novel is the description of a migrant farming family during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression of the 1930’s. It is the all too typical event of a farm repossession ultimately leading to the need for the family to leave. The Joad’s, our main characters, are the people through which the story is conveyed. They have been fed false hopes toward the "Promised Land" of California, convincing them to make the journey even further west than their Oklahoma home. The Grapes of Wrath is the description of this pilgrimage and the snags they face along the way. The Joad’s become extremely impoverished, and destitute, and the only hope for survival is the hold they have to each other. The book also includes many alternating intercalary chapters, to make the hardships seem more generic. These chapters generally describe life for migrant farmers and midwesterners of this

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It also shows a higher social standing by making the implication that they will be able to enjoy such simple pleasures and most likely drink of the expensive wines of the California vineyards. He

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describes what he will do when he gets there, which involves grapes. This, however is different from the grapes. Before their dreams are lost, this is their stronghold and what keeps them pressing on in their trip. This title was well chosen, and very significant to the plot. Ma constantly attempts to keep the family together, even when it might be too late. The grapes, which represent the dreams of the characters, end up being what hurts them the most.

Because of the destitute trip involved in getting to California, the "Wrath" aspect of the title is also accurate. This is when the family is full of hope, and grapes are the symbol for their new and better life. When the Joad family originally decides to make the long journey to California, Grampa sets a significant scene. His description of this act is jovial and demonstrates the "Promised Land" aspect of California.

The Grapes of Wrath was titled very deliberately by John Steinbeck. Although dreaming of the "Promised Land" can be

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helpful, because of the nature of this particular story, these dreams ended up hurting the Joads more than improving their livelihood. It is representative of the ideals that these people held and the ultimate realization of their prevarication. At this point in the story, the grape is solely representative of all that is good, new and pure in their journey, and the hope that lies ahead.

Approximate Word count = 706
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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