Censorship of the Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is considered a classic novel by many in the literary field. The trials and tribulations of the Joad family and other migrants is told throughout this novel. In order to gain a perspective into the lives of "Oakies", Steinbeck uses themes and language of the troubling times of the Great Depression. Some of these aspects are critiqued because of their vulgarity and adult nature. In some places, The Grapes of Wrath has been edited or banned. These challenges undermine Steinbeck's attempts to add reality to the novel and are unjustified. In 1939, The Grapes of Wrath was published and came under fire for its content. Vulgarity and the misrepresentation of a preacher were the main complaints that led to the ban and burning of the novel from St. Louis, Missouri libraries in September 1939. Vulgarity may be prevalent in the book, but it has its purpose. Steinbeck used some vulgar terms to accurately represent the lingo and slang that was used by the people of the 1930's. Most of the terms that were considered vulgar may be a bit distasteful, but is
Others may critique Steinbeck's use of socialistic and anti-government messages. During the 1930's, these ideas were very common. In fact, Upton Sinclair, a socialist writer, was nearly elected governor of California. Living conditions, the opposition between the Californians and the "Oakies", and the inability to break out of the depression all added to beliefs of the times. Steinbeck was not advocating socialism, he was just reflecting the times. Without these individual beliefs of the "reds" and other people that showed either socialistic or anti-establishment messages, the reader would get a dry, unfulfilled perspective of the lives of people during the Great Depression. nothing that is not heard on the streets today. Extreme profanity is not extraneous in the novel, in fact, it is tame compared to slang terms used today. Casy, the former preacher that was traveling with the Joads, is not be given the connotation as the most holy man. Casy did not consider himself a minister at the time The Grapes of Wrath takes place. "But I ain't a preacher no more" is spoken many time
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 737
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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