Buzanis Eng 10 Honors
Buzanis Eng 10 Honors
The Grapes of Wrath
by John Steinbeck
I. The Novel’s Structure
A. Chapters 1-11 = Time in Oklahoma
B. Chapters 12-18 = Experiences on the Road
C. Chapters 19-30 = Time in California
D. Intercalary chapters – depict the experience of ALL migrants (universal/philosophical/thematic)
E. Narrative chapters – depict the struggles of the Joad family (details/imagery/philosophy in action)
II. Philosophy in Grapes
A. Naturalism
1. use of graphic detail
2. a “survival of the fittest” attitude
3. man is often compared to animals
4. use of symbols
5. attention to bodily functions
6. a belief in determinism, that is the belief that one’s choice of actions is not free, but is predetermined , by a sequence of causes independent of one’s will.
B. Regionalism: “local color” techniques, accuracy of detail in the description of people (Steinbeck portrays the Okies as authentically as possible including their dialect, dress, lifestyle, etc.)
C. Agrarianism: close identification with and love for the land.
D. Proletarianism: description of the injustices of the laboring classes. One social class pitted against another.
E. Communism
1. stress cooperation
2. collective efforts
3. working for the group increases individual self esteem
4. “government camps” (weedpatch)
5. “We’re the People, we go on.” – Ma Joad
6. The laboring man is held in high esteem
7. References to Marx, Lenin, and Thomas Paine
F. Pragmatism: to test truth by looking at the outcomes of actions. If it works, it’s okay. The tendency to makeup a policy as you go along, based on your current need and circumstance.
G. Transcendentalism:
1. God as Nature: to look inside yourself for divine guidance in learning to understand the nature of God.
2. Contemplation of Divine Nature: to live life close to nature, for there a person can most successfully contemplate his reason for being.
3. Search for Meaning: devote yourself to the search for meaning in life and not to the acquisition of material possessions.
4. Physical and Mental Work: a person should be both physically and intellectually active throughout life.
5. Know Thyself: become a person of principle and then live life by these principles. Have the courage to follow the dictates of your own conscience.
6. Time and Personal Growth: give time priority to personal growth rather than working for money.
7. Least Government Best: The belief that “that government is best which governs least”. Have the courage to practice some form of non-violent law-breaking if you believe the law to be in violation of your principles. Of course you have to be willing to accept the consequences that the government might invoke.
8. Determine Truth for Yourself: Each generation should question for itself all previous teachings, all laws, and, indeed, all history, until it finds ideas, institutions, and persons worth believing in. In other words, now is the only reality; all else is illusion or conjecture.
III. Symbols
A. dust
B. turtle
C. tractor
D. the car
E. the title
IV. Biblical Allusions and Parallels
A. The Joads – Exodus of the Isrealites
B. Jim Casy
1. Christ-like
2. self sacrifice, love for mankind
3. spirit above material
4. his final words
5. meditates in the wilderness
6. rejects the old religion for anew one
7. both knew they would be rejected
8. Tom becomes his disciple
9. Tom’s parting words to Ma
C. Rose of Sharon and the ending
D. Ma: “Cast your bread upon the water…”
E. Uncle John, Rose’s baby, and “Moses”
Levels of Reading John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath
Level One: one family’s (the Joad’s) struggle for survival (narrative chapters)
Level Two: the story of a group’s (the migrants) struggle for survival (intercalary chapters)
Level Three: the story of a nation (America) as it struggles to define its identity in a capitalist
system.
Level Four: Moral – Philosophical Meanings – how are right and wrong / good and evil determined?
Level Five: Ontological Questions – what duty do I owe my fellow man? What is our relationship with the earth? Why are we here? Purpose and meaning in life
Grapes of Wrath– Discussion Questions
Directions: Look at these questions before, during and after you read each chapter. They are NOT merely comprehension question. They are analysis and interpretation questions, and they require thought.
Title
In the Bible, grapes have a dual symbolism. Often they represent sweetness, fruitfulness, and satisfaction. Other times they represent angst (mostly because they are crushed in a wine press). What might the title tell us about the book? What does wrath mean and why does Steinbeck use it in the title?
Chapter 1 - Interchapter
1. Why does the first chapter deal with the effect of natural disasters on the country folk?
2. What might Steinbeck’s purpose be in describing the dust?
3. What does Steinbeck’s use of personification of the crops accomplish with respect to the story?
Chapter 2 - Narrative
3. What is the significance of the slot machine?
4. In his description of Tom, Steinbeck says that his lips stretched to cover his protruding teeth, because “this man kept his lips closed” (6). Explain the two ways Steinbeck is characterizing Tom with this statement.
5. How does Tom get the truck driver to give him a ride? What does this tell us about Tom?
Chapter 3 - Interchapter
6. What or whom does the turtle represent?
7. How do the drivers of the two vehicles react to the turtle on the side of the street? When you consider what or whom the turtle represents, why are these details important?
Chapter 4 - Narrative
8. Find two ways the turtle is physically similar to Tom and two ways it is described like Jim Casey.
9. Why does Tom break the cap to make it look older?
10. When Tom meets Jim Casey, Tom is standing in the “speckled shade” and Jim Casey is standing in the “absolute shade” (19). What does this description of their location possibly say about them?
11. How does Jim Casey say he is like the turtle?
12. How is Jim Casey like Jesus Christ? How is he different?
13. How is he like Ralph Waldo Emerson? (23-24)
14. Why is the sunlight so yellow? (26,27)
Chapter 5 - Interchapter
15. What point does Steinbeck make about qualifications for ownership? (33) Write two important quotes that support this.
16. How is the tractor described? (35)
17. Describe the relationship between the monster, the driver, and the tractor.(35)
15. What is the significance of the driver’s comments about keeping the lines straight? (38)
16. Why does Steinbeck use the phrase “I got to figure”? (38)