Intercalary Chapters in Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath

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Table of Contents

Introduction
The Message of the Chapter
Literary Devices
Conclusion
Work Cited

Introduction

John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, is a classic of American literature and an interesting piece of writing for any analysis. A number of the chapters in the book can be classified as intercalary, which means that their presence does not serve to further the plot in a meaningful or significant way. Instead, these parts of the text resonate thematically with the rest of the work, reinforcing the existing messaging or better contextualizing it for the reader. The specific chapter that is discussed in this paper is chapter eleven. While some critics and readers may find the mentioned chapter irrelevant, its message about technology and life and literary devices like symbolism and metaphors support key topics in the novel – dehumanization and the power of nature.

The Message of the Chapter

Although the chapter in question is quite short and, as mentioned above, is not critical to the novel’s plot, it still brings great value to the overall understanding of the author’s ideas. To begin with, it is important to notice that the book itself is more devoted to following the characters’ development and adventures. On the contrary, Steinbeck uses this small section to show what happens to the houses and the land once people leave their areas because this process of nature raising its power is also viewed as crucial. Thus, “the weeds sprang up in front of the doorstep, where they had not been allowed, and grass grew up through the porch boards” (Steinbeck 159). Animals like rats, cats, weasels, and others take control of the abandoned buildings, and this triumph of nature leaves readers with a slight sadness and a sense of rightness (Steinbeck 158-159). In other words, the examples above show that nature takes back what humans never wanted or took care of.

Literary Devices

The poetic language used in the chapter allows to highlight one of its messages, precisely, the absence of ‘life’ and ‘nature knowledge’ in some people. The author uses metaphors, personification, and similes to describe those who use tractors to farm the land they do not feel or understand, as well as to contrast living creatures and these technological tools. Thus, in the barn, “the feet shift on the straw, and the jaws champ on the hay, and the ears and the eyes are alive,” which are the symbols of life and nature (Steinbeck 157). However, “when the motor of a tractor stops, it is as dead as the ore it came from. The heat goes out of it like the living heat that leaves a corpse” (Steinbeck 157). These quotes show the striking difference between what is alive and what is not, and people who prefer the latter are barely alive themselves because they do not feel the warmth or the land. Such persons are no longer humans as they fail to see the wonder in the ground and in farming this land, which is when the topic of dehumanization is highlighted.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be said that chapter eleven of The Grapes of Wrath is important for understanding the novel’s messaging and themes despite being largely unimportant to its plot progression. In the chapter, Steinbeck once again emphasizes the power of nature that can take control over what has long belonged to humans but has not been truly ‘alive’ or ‘humanized.’ Further, with the use of literary devices, Steinbeck also highlights the difference between technology and nature. The author makes sure to note that people lose their ability to see wonders and feel their land when they prefer technological solutions.

Work Cited

Steinbeck, J. The Grapes of Wrath. Gardners Books, 1993.

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Intercalary Chapters in Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath

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