Grapes of Wrath
To achieve an even greater sense of understanding for their novels, many writers parallel their stories with the Bible. The Grapes of Wrath, which summed up the despair and hardships of the early 1930's for many Americans, follows this form as well. The Grapes of Wrath is a story about one family's hardship during the Depression and the Dust Bowl of the 1930's. The Joads were a hard-working family with a strong sense of togetherness; they farmed their land and went about their business without bothering anyone. During the Great Depression, a widespread drought hit the Joads' homeland and they were forced to sell the land they had farmed for generations. Steinbeck begins the novel with a sort of "Prodigal Son"-type return of one of the Joads. The oldest son, Tom, had been in jail the past four years and is paroled. When he returns, he finds his childhood home abandoned. He learns his family has moved in with his Uncle John and he decides to travel to see them. He arrives only to learn they are packing up their belongings and moving to California, someplace where there is a promise of work and food. This sets the Joad family off on a long and arduous journey with one goal: to survive. In this novel, Steinbeck set forth
with the intention of raising awareness to the general public of the difficulties and injustices these migrants faced during this period in American History. The first part is the Joad's eviction from their farms under the control of the banks and companies, which is akin the Israelites' slavery to the Egyptians. Rose of Sharon realizes this man will die without her, in the same way Christ says that without Him people will die spiritually. Also, Rose of Sharon represents a Biblical allusion towards the end of the novel. This situation is comparable to the Old Testament story of Noah's Ark. Both groups struggled under the control of overwhelming forces and left in hopes of a better life. When he tried to put his ideas into action he, like Christ, aroused the antagonism of the people in authority and was brutally killed. Her sacrifice suggests the notion of rebirth through Christ's physical body, which is symbolized in the ritual of communion. Its universal appeal to the plight of the poor helps it stand the test of time and remain a classic. In both events, heavy rains cause a flood that results in the families leaving their homes. After she gives birth to her stillborn child, she gives life to a starving man by breast-feeding him. The novel is broken up into three distinct sections. Much to his delight and the delight of millions, possibly even billions of readers around the world, The Grapes of Wrath is considered my many to be one of the best works of American literature. Steinbeck uses Biblical allusions to create the theme of strength and survival and faith. The journey for the Israelites lasted so many years that only the younger generation made it to the Promised Land.
Common topics in this essay:
Rose Sharon,
Grapes Wrath,
Uncle John,
Jesus Christ,
American History,
Joads Wainwrights,
Christ Casy,
Dust Bowl,
Egypt Canaan,
Promised Land,
grapes wrath,
rose sharon,
biblical allusion,
stand test,
joad family,
promised california,
search promised,
promised land,
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Acceptance Essays
