The Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath consists of many emotions that readers the readers can detect due to their struggles. As their journey continues, Ma and Tom Joad speak of what they expect California to be like upon their arrival, what they fear to be disappointed by, and what they hope to experience in their new lives. Their conversation begins with Ma questioning, "Tom, I hope things is all right in California...Seems to nice, kinda" (p.122). as it unravels, Ma expresses her concerns of all the promises of work in the papers to turn out false. Although employers make it seem as if there are an abundance of jobs, Ma does not want to be disappointed to find a downside to all the boasting. The Joads continue traveling and are pleasantly surprised when they come in contact with a man who tells them of work in a town called Pixely. Overcome with joy, they begin dreaming of the things they would be able to do if the men in the family were bringing home enough money. "Maybe I can get some credit right off...We might get a house, pay rent even, for a couple months" (p.499). Hopes of having a good source of income bring great happiness to the Joad family.

The theme of this book, the American Dream, is evident throughout the entire novel. The theme is significant to this book due to the fact that the characters express certain feelings that the reader is able to sense. The Joad family travels from Oklahoma to California in search of a new beginning, far from the Dust Bowl and depression. When the protagonist of the book, Tom Joad, arrives at his Oklahoma home after being released from jail, he is surprised to find it completely empty. "He looked into the barn shed, deserted...Joad paused at the entrance to the tool-shed leanto, and no tools were there" (p.54). After realizing that the inhabitants of Oklahoma had fled to California, he decided to find his family. The author describes, "A half-million people moving over the country; a million more restive, ready to move" (p.207). The theme of the American Dream is important to The Grapes of Wrath book because readers can vicariously experience the struggle of moving to a state for a promising future, through the eyes of the characters.

Possibly the most important character, Tom Joad, is introduced to readers at the beginning of the novel, when he is released from jail after serving four years. He keeps to himself throughout the novel and has devoted his time to living day by day. He is sensitive towards the topic of killing another individual due to the time he spent in jail. "I felt that knife go in me, an' that sobered me up...they was this here shovel leanin' against the schoolhouse, so I grabbed it an' smacked 'im over the head" (p.73). After meeting a former preacher named Jim Casy, Tom's perspective on life changed drastically. He works on committing his energies to others to help them create a better future. Jim Casy is