One of the hardest things in life to endure is change, and no
             matter how big or small it is, it will have a lasting impact on
             the person or situation that it is affecting. In The Grapes of
             Wrath, Steinbeck demonstrates major change in regards to the
             Joad family and their beliefs. As they travel from Oklahoma to
             California, they are faced with many new people, challenges,
             and different ways of life then they are used to. The Joads
             progress from a concern only for themselves and their own
             personal welfare to a concern for all the people in the world.
             Although they seem irrelevant at the time, each small
             change that the Joad family evolves through affects them in the
             long run, eventually treating the Joads to "disintegration of
             the smaller family unit which is replaced by the larger world
             family of the migrant people" ("Joad's Journey"). One of the
             first changes that the Joads faced was being kicked off their
             land. Because they had lived there for many generations, they
             had strong ties to their land, and almost felt as if they were
             losing their family history. This is demonstrated when Ma
             burns several items before the family leaves.
             Ma set her lantern on the floor. She reached behind
             one of the boxes that had served as chairs and
             brought out a stationery box, old and soiled and
             cracked at the corners. She sat down and opened the
             box. Inside were letters, clippings, photographs, a
             pair of earrings, a little gold signet ring, and a
             watch chain braided of hair and tipped with gold
             swivels. She touched the letters with her
             fingers...and she smothered a newspaper clipping on
             which there was an account of Tom's trial...She took
             a letter from an envelope and dropped the trinkets in
             the envelope. She folded the envelope over and put
             it in her dress pocket. Then gently and tenderly she
             closed the box....