The story begins with the description of the conditions in the Dust Bowl Region of Oklahoma that ruined the crops and brought about massive foreclosures on farmlands. Our first introduction with Tom Joad is, him standing outside a diner trying to catch a ride with a trucker who has a "No Riders" sticker on his truck. Tom has been recently released from prison for the crime of "Homicide". He is attempting to make it back home to his folk's land, which they've lived on for over 50 years. On the way home, after being dropped off by the trucker, Tom hooks up with his old preacher Jim Casey. Mr. Casey has "lost the call" and has now become a wonderer.

Upon their arrival to Tom's home, they find it a banded and in shambles. They discover, from a neighbor, Muley Graves, that the banks have been foreclosing on most of the sheer croppers farms and leaving families out in the

The Joads arrive at Hooper Ranch, where the entire family picks peaches. They were earning more money than usual because they were strike breaking. Tom finds out that Jim Casy is the leader of the labor force that is organizing the strike. Casy realized, while in prison, that he must fight to help the common people against the wealthy. Tom, Casy and other strikers get into a fight with strikebreakers. A man using a pick handle kills Casy. Tom struggles with the man who murdered Casy and takes away his pick handle. Tom kills the man, and barely escapes capture by the police.

The next day Tom finds his family still at his Uncle John's house. His mother is a strong and sturdy woman who is the heart of family. He is reacquainted once again with his brother, Noah, his sister Rose of Sharon (called Rosasharn by the family) who is recently married to Connie Rivers and pregnant and Tom's younger brother, Al. He is showed the flyer for workers needed and once again told by the family what they are planning on doing and how they plan on doing it. He is told how they earned money buy selling off items from their home and saving from jobs they had performed.

cold to fend for themselves. Tom also discovers that his family is staying at his Uncle John's house and they are going to move to California to try and find jobs as fruit pickers. That night, while staying at Tom's house the three are forced to hide from the police, since they are trespassing on the property now owned by the bank.

The Joads and Wilson's families reach California; they are immediately harassed by police officers that call them and other migrant laborers "Okies." At the first camp where they stay, Granma becomes quite ill. The police force them out of the camp, but the Wilsons decide to stay, since Sairy Wilson is too sick to continue. The next time that the police stop the Joads on the road, Ma Joad forces them to let them pass without inspection. She d

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1306
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)