Blog #17 The Use of Imagery (The Grapes of Wrath)

Throughout the story, the author uses imagery that helps me to better understand the story like I am actually there. Most of the book is just common sense, where the reader uses his or her own imagination to create a picture, but certain parts of the book are vividly described. In chapter 2 (Steinbeck 5-13) the author uses many vivid images when describing Tom’s clothes. Tom is dressed very well for his condition, and the truck driver is not looking for any beggars, so when he sees Tom, he is unusually surprised at his wardrobe. I can perfectly imagine Tom’s new clothes, new grey hat, his towel, new handkerchief, cheap grey suit, and new sneakers. As you move along in the story (Steinbeck 35) the author describes the men who came to take the Joad’s property. The man did not look like a man, he looked like a robot that did not care what he destroyed as he came passing through on his tractor. The author does a good job of describing the scenery the Joad family passes as they are travelling to California (Steinbeck 203). As they travel along the road, the reader can easily picture the road and the trees that surround them, and then change the image to a place where water is scarce and the land is hot and dry. Through the words in the entire book, you can image the cars travelling along the highway in search for work. The traffic is piled up as a bunch of loaded cars are moving along the highway, following the rumors of where work may be. Probably the most vivid image is towards the end of the book where Rose of Sharon just lost her baby. The men are finding where to burry the corpse of the baby as the water is quickly flooding around them. The men decide that they are going to lay the corpse in a basket and send it on down the river, a reenactment of Moses being sent on the river. This is probably the most vivid image because it is easiest to envision a baby floating in a basket down the river and the readers tend to have an emotional connection with the baby (Steinbeck 448). Overall, the imagery in the story helped me to create a better mental picture of what was happening along the Joad’s journey.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York. Viking Penguin Inc. 1939