Grapes of Wrath1

A detailed Summary of Grapes of Wrath1


This book was published in 1975 but written in the 1930's. It won the Pulitzer Prize and the author also won the 1962 Nobel Prize for Literature. The book is a story of the Joad family, and their trip to California. It tells of the migration of thousands of homeless families from Oklahoma to California. It follows the Joad family, who, evicted from the land by the bank decide to head for the 'Golden West' to a land of plenty. When there they encounter poverty and oppression. The book stirs emotion from deep within. It shows the strength of the human spirit under stress and the dreadful conditions the Joad family suffered.

The Joad family began with Ma, Pa, Granpa, Granma, Tom, Al, Ruthie, Connie, Rose of Sharon, Winfield, Uncle John and Casey a former preacher. Whilst on the road they meet the Wilsons who let the Joad's use their tent when Granpa was dying. Many other


Tom is the oldest child and a paroled convict. He was sent to Pentridge when during a drunken fight he hit a neighbor's son over the head with a shovel killing him in the process. On release he hitches back to his parents' farm and on arrival finds the shocking truth - it is deserted with the doors ripped off. He finds out from a neighbor who is living off the land while hiding from the bank that, his family and many others were evicted from the land by the bank. He then walks to his uncle John's whereupon he finds his family loading up the truck to head for California. He is invaluable to his family, using the skills he learnt in prison - car repair, reading and writing. He keeps the whole family moving at times. His younger brother Al who thinks he is god reveres him.

The book is not easy to read and at times is slow but in the end the result is an entertaining and touching novel. The powerfully thick description allowed me to picture

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 636
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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