Student Question
In "Bud, Not Buddy", why do the characters plan to go west?
Quick answer:
During the Great Depression, characters plan to go west due to widespread unemployment and the Dust Bowl's impact on agriculture in the Midwest. The American West is perceived as offering better opportunities, prompting many families to migrate in search of jobs and a better life. This migration mirrors the experiences depicted in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath.
The answer to this lies in the novel's setting. The story takes place during the Great Depression of the 1930's when many Americans were unemployed. In the Midwest, where Bud lives, poverty was made worse by the Dust Bowl. Many farmers in the Midwest saw their farms literally blow away when prolonged drought turned their once fertile fields to dust.
The American West seemed to offer people affected by unemployment and farm loss greater opportunity. Many families picked up and made their way west seeking jobs and a better way of life, a migration made famous by the Joads of John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath.
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