Grapes of Wrath

A detailed Summary of Grapes of Wrath

In The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, the presence of "big business" ruling the working farmers is emphasized throughout the novel. Steinbeck makes numerous references to the conditions the workers are faced with, and the simplicity of their lifestyle. The inter-chapters of The Grapes of Wrath illustrate both the beauty of the human spirit and the ugliness of human greed. This is illustrated in the greed of the banks, family ties to the land and belongings, ability for the individuals to "have fun" and the desperation of mankind.

The ugliness of human greed in chapter five is emphasized in the inhumanity of the banks. The banks in the novel were not human, rather a monster that destroys all. "The bank-the monster has to have profits all the time. It can't wait. It'll die. No, taxes go on." (Steinbeck, 42) The idea that banks are not human, merely buildings and dollar signs, gives the banks and "big business" an impersonal feel. "The bank is something else than man"(Steinbeck, 43) The tractors are described as indiscriminate and hostile. The tractors move on the land, slicing and tearing at the roots and soil that were tended to so gently by the farmers. The concept of greed, which is the need for more, is emphasized in this

In chapter five of The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck introduces the banks and the tenant farmers. The farmers have resided on the lands ever since they were born. The idea that the bank, identified in the novel as a "monster", was taking that precious piece of history from them, upset and frustrated many. "That's what makes it ours-being born on it, working it, dying on it. That makes ownership, not a paper with numbers." (Steinbeck, 43) A man who does not reside on his land and walk upon it cannot own it; rather, the property controls the man and he becomes the servant of the land. The man is not an owner of the land, rather a product of it. Human spirit is emphasized in the novel, in that the ownership of the land creates the beauty and simplicity of the tenants. "But it's ours, the tenant man cried." (Steinbeck, 43) The reactions by the men varied, but a general sense of hopelessness and upset was felt by all. The banks in the novel played a vital role in outlining the ugliness of greed in the novel.

Chapter nine of the novel explains the beauty of mankind. "How can we live without our lives? How will we know it's us without our past?" (Steinbeck, 114) The inability to make definite arrangements for the future impedes on the workers routine. The workers are unsure if they will be all right. "You're not buying only junk, you're buying junked lives" (Steinbeck, 112) Both their pride and their sentimental items are being priced and purchased. The human spirit is illustrated in the desperate need to move on and the ability of the farmers to move on. The unification of the family through the horrible events that occur creates a sense of love and unity in the family. The human spirit is beautiful because of family bonds and the ability for a family to progress without material goods.

Chapter twenty-nine of The Grapes of Wrath explains the upset by the migrant families regarding the unceasing rain. The rain, one could say represents the banks, penetrates the tents and cars and destroys whatever the families have left. The families are faced with starvation a

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Approximate Word count = 1395
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English