John Steinbeck's 1939 Pulitzer Prize-winning epic novel, "The Grapes of Wrath" continues to be widely read and studied for its thought-provoking themes and characters. Within the novel, readers are introduced to the struggles of an Oklahoma farming family who, like thousands of other families during the Great Depression, venture west to the mythical land of California in search of a more prosperous lifestyle and future.
Met with hardships and injustices on the way, the Joad family visits countless bodies of water, deserts, and small towns on their journey to California. Steinbeck’s vivid, literary storytelling paints a picture of the American West during the bleak years of the Great Depression. The novel overflows with characters and stories that emphasize the suffering and plight of the migrants, while exploring themes concerning the injustices of class and the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity.
The novel centers around the Joad family, a once well-to-do family of sharecroppers who lose their small farm as a result of the dust bowl of the 1930s. Though the Joads lose everything material, the family remains strong throughout the novel and stays together even when separated from one another. The Grandfather and Grandmother, Ma and Pa Joad, Tom and Al, and the children all contribute in their own ways to keep the family going. Pa persuades Ma that the family should risk it all and head west to California, just as the “grapes of wrath” were a metaphor for the migration itself. Along the way, the Joads pick up extra passengers including their neighbor Casy, a former preacher whose faith has been undermined; Sairy, a woman who has been abused by her husband; Noah, a county bridge builder; and Rutledge, an elderly man who lost his family and whose only companion is a fiddle.
Once they get to California they are met by the harsh realities of being migrants, from lack of money and food, deceitful labor recruiters, and gangs of criminals who lurk on the fringes. Despite their bleak surroundings, the Joads remain resilient until the final chapter of the novel. The novel ends with Ma, who has been the family’s leader throughout the novel, declaring that although the Joad’s will accept the harshness of their plight, they will push ahead in true American spirit and continue to fight for a better life.
Steinbeck’s novel has been seen as a stunning and honest description of the plight of sharecroppers and other migrant groups during the Great Depression. His vivid storytelling and memorable characters have been compared to the works of Shakespeare and Homer in their sweeping scope and timelessness. "The Grapes of Wrath" continues to be read by people of all ages and remains an American classic today. The novel has been translated into many languages and still serves as an important reminder of the suffering endured by the common people and the strength of family and the human spirit to survive and change their own destinies in spite of their hardships.
