Essay - In 1939, John Steinbeck Published His Novel the Grapes of...

In 1939, John Steinbeck published his novel The Grapes of Wrath, and that same year the film version ***** ***** story was released. ***** film ***** directed by John Ford ***** was very popular, and the book and the film together reached millions of people. In writing t***** novel, ***** reflected many of the social, economic, and political currents of the time. The story is set in the Great Depression era, and ***** ***** was still have its effect in *****. What would bring about the end of the Great Depression was already starting in Europe, meaning World War II, which does not impinge directly on the story of the Joad family but which we can see from our standpoint today was about to bring about massive changes in Ameri***** society. The very nature of the story of the Joads, however, links that story to the Depressi***** and ***** effect on the fortunes ***** farmers ***** others in the 1930s.

John Ste*****beck shows that common people like the ***** are affected ***** economic changes which are not of their own making. At the same time, this ***** is still responsible for ***** ***** its ***** problems. It is evident ***** Steinbeck is dealing with larger economic forces and ideas, ***** he demonstrates this with the interchapters in which he does not directly advance the story of ***** Joad family but instead provides increased depth and broader significance to the novel by giving background, discussing issues of the time, and offering an external perspective on the Depression. Here, Steinbeck can expand on his view of a class struggle in *****can society as the immigrants who have nothing move toward the landowners ***** have much:

***** western land, nervous under the beginning change. The Western States, nervous as horses before a thunder storm. The great owners, nervous, sensing a change, knowing ***** of the ***** of the change... The causes lie deep and simple--the ***** ***** a hunger in a stom*****ch, multiplied a million *****s... (Steinbeck 192).

The world ***** the ********** exists on wheels. These are people who lived by the land but who have now been removed ***** ***** land, ***** adrift in a truck and pointed toward California ***** the promised land that will get them out of their ec*****omic troubles. T***** is a wrenching experience for the whole family:

Every night a world cre*****ted, complete with furniture--friends made and enemies establ*****hed; a world complete ***** br*****ggarts and with cowards, with quiet men, ***** humble men, with kindly men (Steinbeck 250).

The world of the Joad stands as a representation of ***** rest ***** America. More and more, this is a ***** living more r*****pidly, with friends made and lost in a s*****gle night, with households created and dismantled in one day. The actions of the Joads show how Americans developed their nation and ***** they improved every aspect of their lives because they had no choice:

***** families moved westward, and the technique of building the worlds *****