The Grapes of Wrath is a classic novel with great social importance. It is a work of realism, representing the world as it was, no sugar-coating. John Steinbeck portrayed a time of serious crisis in our country. He uses the Joad family to illustrate many important social problems that were seriously disturbing the chemistry of the nation. The novel is used as a desperate call for help and change within the workings of America. Steinbeck also illustrates human determination and will to live through the struggles and triumphs of the Joads. The two important themes Steinbeck illustrates in The Grapes of Wrath are those of socialism and human perseverance.

Socialism lies deep within this novel. During a time when the economic system failed most Americans, these ideas became very popular. Steinbeck portrays the capitalist system as a failure and calls for reform. He depicts the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. The wealthy take advantage of the desperateness of the poor to demand low wages and gain high profits. In chapter 21 Steinbeck writes "When there was work for a man, ten men fought for it-fought with a low wage. If that fella'll work for thirty cents, I'll do

Another idea expressed in The Grapes of Wrath is that of determination and perseverance. From the epic struggle of a turtle to climb a highway embankment in chapter 3, all the way to the final words of the book, struggle and determination become a big part of the novel. The turtle desperately struggles and frantically pushes upward until finally it reaches the highway. Even once it's reached the highway it still struggles as a truck tips it over and little by little it gets itself upright. The turtle is very symbolic of the Joad's journey and struggles throughout the book in which they survive because of they never give up. The hardships of the Joads start from the very beginning when they are forced to leave their land. But, they don't give up. Instead they work very hard to save up enough money to set out for California. They struggle along the road and in the process bury two relatives, but nothing can stop them. However, their persistence is best illustrated in their latter days in California when both food and money have gotten low. Ma, is the most determined to keep the family alive which is shown by this quote from 479 "Now you figger,... I ain't watchin my fambly starve no more.. Come time for Rosasharn to lay in, she got to be fed up. You figger!" They search and scrounge for work and when they find it, it doesn't last. They somehow manage to survive. However, the best example of the will to live expressed in this book comes at the very end. Seekin

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Approximate Word count = 998
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)