Blog #20 Plot Summary (The Grapes of Wrath)

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. There were many situations that kept me wanting to read more. The rising action begins when Tom gets out of jail and is travelling home. This is when the reader really experiences Tom’s first impressions. The second event in the rising action is when the Joad family is forced off their land and is left to find work in order to survive. This is when the reader develops an emotional attachment to the family and keeps them wondering if they will make it to California to find work. Another event in the rising action is when Tom and Casy start to become good friends because Casey is a preacher and without knowing, he helps Tom to discover holiness and philosophies of life. At this point, the reader is almost confused because Casy says he is not a preacher, but yet he does many preacher-like tasks throughout the journey. The climax of the story is definitely when Tom gets into a fight with the officer. I think that is the climax because Tom is already violating his parole when he crosses the state line, and so he has to be very careful about what he does. When he gets into a fight, he not only risks his own life, but he also risks his families because he has violated parole and assaulted an officer. This is the point where Tom goes into hiding and in a way leaves the family to fend for themselves. The fight was the most suspenseful part because from then on the reader is left guessing if Tom will get caught and will Ma get caught when she sneaks food to him. The falling action is when Tom does not get caught, and he develops a great relationship with his mom. He tells her that he learned many things from Casy. Another event in the falling action is when Tom basically departs from the family. This is a huge deal because Tom was one of the main characters the whole journey. The last piece in the falling action is when Rose of Sharon nurses a sick man in the end of the story. Her nursing the man sums up all the struggles of the trip by showing how the suffering has had an effect on the migrants and other people.

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