The Significance in The Appellation of The Grapes of Wrath

John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, justifies its title within the tale. This novel is the description of a migrant farming family during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression of the 1930's. It is the all too typical event of a farm repossession ultimately leading to the need for the family to leave. The Joad's, our main characters, are the people through which the story is conveyed. They have been fed false hopes toward the "Promised Land" of California, convincing them to make the journey even further west than their Oklahoma home. The Grapes of Wrath is the description of this pilgrimage and the snags they face along the way. The Joad's become extremely impoverished, and destitute, and the only hope for survival is the hold they have to each other. The book also includes many alternating intercalary chapters, to make the hardships seem more generic. These chapters generally describe life for migrant farmers and midwesterners of this

Because of the destitute trip involved in getting to California, the "Wrath" aspect of the title is also accurate. This, however is different from the grapes. Wrath represents the actuality of the journey, not the dream, as the grapes do. Wrath, definitively means "Violent, resentful anger; rage; fury" (American Heritage 1477). This definition relates to the struggle in the story well. The grapes, which represent the dreams of the characters, end up being what hurts them the most. They have endearing wills to carry on because of their hopes, which ultimately, because they end up apart, hurt, or desolate, is what has hurt them the most. Because of their need for success and the will to gain it, they will not give in to the fact that they have failed. Ma constantly attempts to keep the family together, even when it might be too late. "Family's falling apart...I don't know. Seems like I can't think no more. I jus' can't think. They's too much" (278). Because it is their dreams (the grapes) that have scorned them with wrath (ultimate demise), the

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Approximate Word count = 706
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)