The Grapes of Wrath

A detailed Summary of The Grapes of Wrath


The Grapes of Wrath is quite a compelling movie, filled with many universal truths and observations on human nature and society, especially where class is concerned.

The movie is based on the John Steinbeck novel and takes place during the Great Depression in the 1930's when a dust bowl was created in America's heartland because of drought, over farming and loose topsoil. The movie centers on Tom Joad and the Joad family's experiences during this hard time.

One of the universal themes in The Grapes of Wrath is mankind's tendency towards greed. In the movie the Joad family is kicked off of their farm where they worked as sharecroppers for at least two generations. The reasons for the move to California vary for the Joads. The changing technology, in the form of huge tractors that can work the land more efficiently and more cheaply than the sharecroppers can, and the Great Depression of the 1930's cause the big companies that own the land to release the sharecroppers from there homes in an attempt to make the land turn a bigger profit


, making the owners of the company richer. But, Murley, the man who stayed behind, hiding among the deserted farms, tells us that it is not that simple. The companies have to use the new tractor technology or they will go bankrupt, leaving their land to be bought by another company who will have to do the same thing to make sure they do not go bankrupt as well. Murley finds it hard to blame anyone in particular and so has no outlet for his anger at being left with no place to live. Greed also affects the Joad family, when after having their dreams of finding jobs in California shattered, they take work wherever they can get it. Where they can get it, turns out to be a farm where they compete for fruit picking jobs with many other families at well under a fair wage. The farm owners, after luring in the families with a set price per fruit bucket filled; fifteen cents each, then lowers the price paid to ten cents each, after the families stay a while, allowing the farm owners to rake in huge profits by getting all their fruit picked with such low labor costs, and knowing the families hav

Some common words found in the essay are:
Grapes Wrath, Department Agriculture, Ma Joad, John Steinbeck, Joad Joad, grapes wrath, ma joad, exiled sharecroppers, farm owners, depression 1930's, joad family,

Approximate Word count = 738
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Movies

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