The Oxford Companion to American Literature | The Grapes of Wrath
Grapes of Wrath, The, novel by Steinbeck, published in 1939 and awarded a Pulitzer Prize. The narrative chapters alternate with panoramic essays that show the social significance of the migrant labor problem.
The Joads, expropriated Oklahoma farmers from the Dust Bowl region, set out in a dilapidated automobile for California, which they believe is a land of plenty. The family includes Grampa, a lusty old man who was never “house broke”; Granma, weary and fanatically religious; lonely Uncle John; Pa, who has tacitly surrendered the rule of the family to his wife; Ma, brave, strong, and patient, who dreams and plans for the others; dull-witted Noah; Tom, just released from a jail term for killing a man in a fight; Al, a cocky youth who admires Tom's calm strength; Rose of Sharon, absorbed in love for her weak husband Connie and her unborn child; and the children, Ruthie and Winfield. The caravan also includes Casy, an ex-preacher and rustic...
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