Blog #10- Analysis of Pa Joad (The Grapes of Wrath)

Father Joad is also one of the main characters in the story. Throughout the story the reader experiences how he transforms as a character. He starts out as the head of the family. He is in charge of making all the decisions for his family. The males in the family have a say, but (Steinbeck 100-101) as of now Father Joad makes the ultimate decisions. The reader realizes that he is not the smartest person and that is why he begins looking toward Al and Tom for answers and opinions. As he becomes less vulnerable, that is when the women actually start to speak up.  As the story develops he finds out that it is okay to share some of the responsibility and decision making with his wife and sons. He learns that a second opinion is needed since he does not know everything. He starts to relax a bit as the story progresses. Father Joad is one of the characters that not many people can relate to personally, but they can relate to his progression in the story. Father Joad is a hard worker. He shows (Steinbeck 410) how he wants to provide enough money for his family and so he works hard to earn it. Throughout the journey is really when Pa Joad begins to break down. The reader can tell he is breaking down because everyone else becomes more risky, especially Ma Joad (Steinbeck 351) because she starts to ask for more money and she also decides that the family is going to keep moving when work is sparse. Pa at the end of the story feels a sense of defeat because he is supposed to protect and provide for his family, but in reality he is doing neither, and therefore Ma Joad and the rest of the family overshadow him. Some struggles they face, like the flooding of their camp, shows how Pa Joad gradually tears down his character. Overall, Pa is starts out as a strong character, but as the story graduates he becomes less and less important.

Bibliographic Citation: Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. Los Gatos, California. Viking Press. 1939

Blog #9-Analysis of Tom Joad (The Grapes of Wrath)

Tom Joad is one of the main characters in the novel. He is probably one of my favorite characters because he possesses many qualities a good character in a story needs. He starts out as a very mysterious character. The reader first notices his mysteriousness when he first meets the truck driver in the very beginning of the story.  His clothes were so new, even his cap, yet he was sitting on the running board of a truck trying to hitch a ride with the driver (Steinbeck 6). When Tom started down the long, dusty road to his home, he picked up a turtle. Turning the turtle over and over in his hands and placing it gently in his coat (Steinbeck 18) the reader begins to wonder the significance of the turtle, as well as why Tom picks the turtle up to bring home. As the family starts their journey to California, the reader begins to see how much of a family person Tom really is. The reader learns that Tom was in jail because when he was drunk he made a bad decision to beat someone, and was forced by law, not his own will, to leave his family. Even Tom (Steinbeck 83) recalled that when you are gone for four years, a lot of things can change. Tom is a smart person. He has a lot of common knowledge and also a lot of common sense. He likes to take chances when they are given to him. For example (Steinbeck 105) Tom suggests that the family should start moving at dawn instead of waiting around for the night to come. He is a big help to the family because he knows many things about cars. Even though Al is the car expert of the family, Tom knows how to fix any situation given the materials that they have and the money they have. You can tell throughout the story that Tom is a fighter. He fights for what he believes is right and he perseveres through anything, which makes him a relate able character. An example of his strength on (Steinbeck 419) shows that Tom takes one for the family. He went to save his friend Casey, which put him in danger with the law because he had crossed the state borders. Although he is in danger he stills helps his family, and he is strong, he never gives up and figures out a solution so he can go with his family. I think that Tom is a very independent and strong-willed character which is why he is my favorite.

Bibliographic Citation: Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. Los Gatos, California. Viking Press. 1939

Discussion Question 8-The Grapes of Wrath

I think that the book does accurately reflect the events and history of the time period. The book clearly shows a time when jobs were scarce and money was very hard to find and earn. Most of the cars in the time period were old and broke down quite often. Gas prices were very low and food was very low compared to what they are today. I think the book does a good job of showing how events in the past have changed since then to the present day. Many relationships and responsibilities are present between the citizens and the authority of the towns. The citizen’s main job is to work and to earn money. They are looking for a way to live, so they travel to stay alive trying to find work along the way. The authorities are mainly in charge of keeping the citizens in check. If they do not pay their bills, the authorities have the right to take their house and kick them out, leaving many families with nothing. They have the right to kick citizens off the land if they are camping along the sides of the road. They have the ability to break up fights and take people to jail. They also have the right to break up camps, which was a major issue because the people in the camps did not know where else to go. Clearly you can tell the line between the people who are in charge and the people who are just trying to make a living. The relationship between men and women is very clear in the beginning of the story. The men were in charge of thinking of plans and fixing everything up, while the women watched an observed, took care of the children, cooked, and cleaned. Throughout the story the women, especially Ma Joad, became more outgoing and spoke their ideas to the men and expected them to listen and follow. That helped the family a lot because Ma Joad actually knew what she was talking about. I think the people who struggled to make a living and those living in poverty were the ones that influenced the author. I think that the times were there were no jobs and everyone started losing hope influenced the events in the story and the idea of faith is one of the main ideas that influenced the author throughout the story.

Discussion Question 7-The Grapes of Wrath

The author uses many techniques to engage the reader in the story. The author first starts off by using mystery. The beginning of the story makes you wonder who the people are, why the truck driver picks up the straggler, and what significance the turtle has on the plot of the story. The mystery of the beginning sets up the rest of the plot and soon the pieces start to fall into place. As the story continues, the author starts to use more suspense. He makes you wonder if the family is going to survive, if the people are going to starve, if they are going to die, or if they will be able to continue when the have troubles along the way. Through the rain in some towns and hot sun through the desert, the suspense keeps you on the edge to see if the family will make it out alive. Later in the book, the author uses action. When fights start to break out at some of the camps and when the cops try to force the citizens out of the camps, you wonder if someone will take action against the cops and if Tommy will be sent back to jail for crossing the border. Then the author starts to use power in his words. When you read paragraphs that the mother speaks, you can hear the power and tone of her voice. When you read those paragraphs, you feel as if you are right there listening to her, and you can feel her wisdom and her concern in her words. Towards the end of the book the author uses more suspense. You wonder if Tommy is going to be found in his hiding spot and whether or not the family will survive through the flood. You also wonder if Rose of Sharon will go into labor and will have a healthy baby. Then finally at the end of the book, the author uses humor. At the very end when they are taking Rose of Sharon to the red shed on the hill, she finally finds her purpose. Even though she does not have her child, she is able to use the milk to help others and that passage was humorous in a kinky sort of way.

Discussion Question 6-The Grapes of Wrath

I think we still read this book because of all the hidden messages that are still life lessons to be learned to us. The book makes you stop and think about what you have. Family is the most important thing in the book and we often take family for granted. Truth is, we are really lucky and we usually do not realize it. When the grandma and grandpa died in the story, their death brought the family so much closer together. I think that the family shows great strength. They have the power to make it through anything. I realized how lucky I am that I have a roof over my head, enough food and water to eat and drink a variety of clothes, enough money to live, and a family that loves me. In the book, the Joad family had it really rough. Another thing I took away from the book is hard work. Hard work seems to be one of the main things the book acknowledges. The family worked extremely hard during their journey to stay together, overcome obstacles, and find work so they could live. I learned that nothing comes easy, you have to work for everything that you earn and that is just a part of life. You have to persevere and go for what you want because you might not get another chance to do so. We can learn to never give up hope and faith from this novel. The family struggled a lot, but each time they got knocked down they got right back up again. We can apply that to our own life now that when times are rough you should not give up because there is a light at the end of every tunnel. Just like the Joad family was alright at the end, so will all of our problems. The message is so timeless because there is no time limit on hope and faith. When you believe, you can make it through anything.

Discussion Question 5-The Grapes of Wrath

5. This book does a great job of showing the history of its time period. As you read you can tell the times are different from what they are now. Food was scarce and jobs were very hard to find. Most work was manual labor. Money was hard to earn, but very easy to spend. They travelled in order to live. When times were rough, they did not just leave each other, they always had their family to turn to. I really connected with the history of this book because the same things are somewhat happening today. Money has become a lot tighter and many people are searching for jobs in this difficult economy. Each day our food prices raise and it is still easy to spend money but very valuable to earn. The behavior of the characters really reflects the time period because a lot of things that were done in the story would not be as tolerated today. Multiple times the book talked about people stealing from the gas station and people would not do anything, or protests would take place outside of the gates, or the police would kick people out of their homes and towns for no reason. The behavior today is more sophisticated and controlled where as the behavior in the story is wild and usually occurred on a whim. Rage overtook Tommy a lot of the time and he made some pretty unsafe decisions. He put his family at risk each time he was outraged. Today, an outrage like Tommy’s would send the person to jail without even getting the chance to run away or explain oneself. The symbolic significance of the book is hope. The turtle in the beginning is the first sign of hope for the Joad family. From then on, through each triumph and downfall, they had hope. The thematic significance of the book is the family’s religion and strength throughout their journey. The underlying block for their hope really started with their religion. Having the preacher on the journey with them helped them to explore their religion a little more and once the preacher was gone, they continued in their religion and that gave the family more hope for the future.

Discussion Question 4-The Grapes of Wrath

3. I would have to say that the hero in Grapes of Wrath is mother Joad. She was the rock and the core of the family. Along their trip, she knew exactly how to fix any problems that came up. She held the family together for the longest time. Overall, she taught her kids many solutions. She was loving, caring, passionate, and not afraid to stand up to anybody. She learned how to use her voice throughout the trip, and when she spoke, everyone listened to what she had to say. She was there for her family when they needed her. She helped her husband think of solutions and plans. She had stood up to him for the first time because she knew she was right, but she did not want to speak her mind. She helped Tommy keep out of trouble so he was not sent back to jail. She comforted him and helped him get past his anger to show him he belongs with the family. Mother Joad helped her daughter Roseahorn a lot because she was pregnant. She taught her many life lessons and was there to comfort her when she felt weak, when she felt like giving up, and when she thought her child would not turn out okay. She was very outspoken as time when on and that helped bring the family together and really helped them to survive through the toughest times. As for herself, she accomplished many things. She found her inner self, which I think is one of the most important things in the book. She learned that she had a voice and she could stand up against her husband. She taught herself that she is strong and that no one is going to talk down to her. She came up with an inner strength that gave her the courage to threaten others and manipulate them into listening to her. Her character completely changed for the better. She represents strength. Without her, the family would have no clue what to do. They would have been lost without the core of the family.

Discussion Question 3-The Grapes of Wrath

3. One main universal theme of this book is perseverance. The family’s journey was very difficult for them. Work only came in short bursts and did not last very long. Pay was hard to find and without pay they did not have money for food. Without work the family did not have any pay. Without food, the family became weaker and could not survive. They worked through their struggles because they had faith that there was a brighter future for them ahead. They kept in mind that work was going to be found and someday they would have a house, and someday they would have a place for the kids to play in the backyard, and someday they would have enough money to work and live on their own and be plentiful. They kept a positive state of mind and tried to see the best in their situations. The mother was probably the best one at showing perseverance. She took care of the grandfather and when he died, she helped the family move on because they still had to get to California. She also took care of the grandmother, who was weak the whole way. She helped her hold on for as long as she could and helped the family mourn and continue on when she died. She kept the family together throughout the story. She thought of new ways or ideas that the other family members failed to think of. She was the solid rock the family needed in order to survive. She became tough just when everyone else was falling apart. Another main theme is determination. Once the family had the idea that they were going to California, they let no one stand in their way. The struggles were just minor setbacks, but in the whole picture, they were determined to find work and make their dreams come true. I think that their determination is what kept them all alive the entire time because without their determination they lost all motivation to do work. 

Discussion Question 2-The Grapes of Wrath

2.To start, the main conflict in this book is the journey to California and how the journey effects the availability to find work. After being kicked out of their home, the Joad family is forced to make a strenuous trip to California to find work and money in order to live and start a new life. The cause of this conflict is when the tractors came and forced the Joad family off of their land. The family did not have enough money to pay for their house and so the bankers came. The bankers told them that they have had enough time to pay their debt and their land was now being taken over the next day. The family did not have a lot of time to prepare for their next move, but they did have a handbill that said pickers were needed in California for pay. They knew almost instantly that was what they needed to do in order to live and stay a family. They gained many things from their trip to California. They gained a lot of knowledge. They learned about each other along they way. Each character was brought out of their shell and each of the family members reacted to one another. They gained knowledge. When the car broke down, it was fixed. When money was needed, they learned to balance what they had. When death came, they overcame it together. They became stronger. Each of their failures brought the family closer together and made them stronger individually. They were always hungry, but they built up their defense and worked through hunger. Most of the people were becoming sick or unhealthy, but they dealt with t and moved on. Each of their actions brought on a series of consequences, but each time they were resolved. The family also lost many things. They lost their individuality. The decisions one person made affected the rest of the family in some way. They lost happiness. All they cared about was making it to California and finding work so they can survive. They did not focus on anything else very much. Overall, there was more gains than loses in the journey they made to California. 

Discussion Question 1-The Grapes of Wrath

1. The writing reveals that the author has very strong values. One main value is perseverance. The family showed perseverance throughout the story by never giving up when the times became very rough. When food was getting low, when money was gone, when there was no work, when floods came, and everybody turned on each other, the family never gave up. If anything, their trials made them stronger. Hard work is also a value that is repeated in the story. Each person had specific jobs and in order to survive, each person had to fulfill their jobs in order to keep the family and themselves alive. The work was very strenuous for very little pay, but they pay they earned helped them with their hunger and helped them become stronger. The writing also reveals the author's strong value about family. During the entire story, the family stuck together and helped each other out. When it was easier for some of the family to go away, they stayed and made themselves beneficial to the family in some way. Each person played an important role in the survival of the whole family. Even the death of the grandmother and grandfather pulled the family closer together and made them stronger as a whole. The attitudes of the author vary in this story. In the very beginning, the story starts out very slow. The family is doing very well, and they have been awaiting the arrival of their son from prison. As the book continues the author picks up the speed of the book and also the attitude has changed. The characters have become more developed and have started to turn on each other and come out of their shells, revealing the person that they rally are. The end of the book is almost humorous. Although there is a lot of suspense in the overall attitude of the book, there are certain parts that can be picked out that just make you laugh. The author writes in third person. You can see each of the family member's perspectives in the story and really get a feel for what each one thinks in the journey to California and after they reach California.