The Reality of the Great Depression in Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath”

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The Grapes of Wrath which is written by Steinbeck is in the era of a great depression that caters to the poor family and dealing with economic hardships. It presents a hopeless scenario that the people experienced through the journey of their life. A presentation of the bitter tension between the fortunate and unfortunate people is greatly depicted. It showed pride in American literature and captured the repulsion of the great depression as it headed through the system of justice and parity in the country.

The author depicts reality in the scenarios of the world and shows a modern era. The journey of the Joad family and other significant characters in the story who played the roles in building the whole context take the path of meeting miserable economic situations. Powerful and powerless people are distinguished in the story and highlighted the boundary between the fortunate and unfortunate people as to how it is conveyed in the given situations of Joad’s journey. The release of Tom Joad from being imprisoned for four years in the manslaughter conviction does not mean starting a new life for the protagonist (Zirakzadeh, 2004). Instead, his release started a new life though but full of trials and hardships. However, the determination of the Joad family to survive made them to the triumphs that they faced in their battle for living in California. Although they have been treated cruelly, the family still remained determined to continue living and fight for what they believe is right.

The interpretation of John Steinback’s work caters to the current situation of certain areas in the world. Not totally in America as it is known for being a progressive country, but in places where poverty and disparity still arise. The things that the family need are the rights of a person in order to live. However, the setting of the story is not in a democratic time where freedom has widely prevailed and many opportunities are open for all. It is good to know that the people before are striving hard for their living and practices self-expression for their own sake. It just gives the readers the idea of people being a fighter now and then. Fighting for the people’s rights is a must and this should be treated as one of the biggest deals and that disparity should be disregarded. Joad family also various face through their journey and experienced scenarios that taught the readers the lesson of being strong in times of hardships. Humanity also arises through the context because of treating each person as if a family member. But of course, death cannot be stopped throughout the journey and it needs to be part of the cycle. People come and go. Each played a significant role in the lives of the other. The newborn child signifies new life as other people passed away (Zirakzadeh, 2004).

Publication of the work of Steinbeck, it had been famous because of the issues about the Oakies and banned by the citizens because of the representation of the fortunate people. The author described the treatment for the Oakies in a rough manner though but it had been praised by many critics which made the novel inspiration for others and show the real scenarios that happened in the great depression (Windschuttle, 2002). However, political issues also have been prevalent in this novel because of the critics who said that the novel is an offense for the people who mistreated the Joad family in the story depicting the character of the authorities.

Discussion

Through the context, it has been highlighted that how the “Oakies” were treated that basically reflects a great depression. The novel showed the movement of a number of men and women and the revolution of an entire nation, and in addition, it centers on the Dust Bowl migration in the 1930s. John Steinbeck portrayed the okies in the novel by characterizing a great depression that remains even today. The scenarios being described in the story have been the imagery for a great depression during the 1930s through the characters of the Joad Family. The family had gone through hardships and disasters like the dust storms and financial crisis as well. The treatment for the Oakies in the story is seen through many scenes like when the Joad family crosses the river and stops over to gas up at needles. In this particular sense, the stopover made the family feel discriminated against because of how the attendants treated them. The Oakies were treated as if they are dumb and makes no sense at all because of living their life the way where they look miserable. Another instance is when the Joad family is being confronted by the angry citizens wherein they formed a mobilization (Windschuttle, 2002). The family is discriminated against by the angry citizens because of staying neat at a camp in a decaying wreck. A minority is how the family was treated before and a major reason for this is because of lack of money. In the very beginning, when the migrant farmers have gone to California, they were not offered any jobs. They were not treated accordingly and in fact, they tell convincingly to them that there are no opportunities in California.

The conversation between the Joad family and Ward Bond in California also depicts discrimination most especially warning the Joads of locking up if they will be caught after dim in the town. This is such as big discrimination for ordinary people and abuse of the authority of Ward Bond. Just because of being poor, it is not a valid reason to restrict them to be on the street though. Also, the story of the labor contractor that offers work in the first migrant camp prevails against discrimination for the Oakies. Comparing the two, they actually have the same color of skin and hence the discrimination does not point out this issue. But the thing is, the labor contractor is seen to be rich because of being dressed and possesses a car. In this matter, the policemen favored the labor contractor and filed charges against the Oakie just because of the status (Windschuttle, 2002). It is explicitly conveyed through the description of Steinbeck in the novel on how the Oakies are treated and defined a great depression among the minorities. Another scenario is when the policeman fired a gun at the people instead of the wild pigs. A woman had been injured and wounded but still, the policeman did nothing. Minorities are explicitly treated in an unfair manner in the story. The treatment showed to the Oakies is unfair because they only want a decent wage and freedom from poverty and in reality (Windschuttle, 2002), California was not the Promised Land that they had hoped for even from the start. The migrants also experienced trading in some of their belonging just to make up for a car that they will use in order to reach California. The farmers appeared to be pathetic because they have to give up their belongings just to buy a car unaware of what their future in California will be (Gregory, 1989).

As a writer, John Steinbeck effectively made a portrayal of an era of great depression where the Joad family was discriminated in different senses. Generally, Oakies are used in the story to show the ecological disasters and great depression that the farmers have gone through in reality. The author used a real picture of what was happening in reality during that time. The migrants from the Great Plains were mostly Oakies or the people from Oklahoma have suffered a great depression because of discrimination from the people and the natural disaster during the dust bowl era. Oakies are used as a term for describing the migrant farmers not necessarily from Oklahoma and this has been what the Californians called all the migrants since then. In this sense, the disparity is shown because of segregating people from different levels of status. This is also used to belittle the poor people, the migrant workers and their families (Phillips and Hopson, 2006).

During the great depression, realities of discrimination for the Oakies prevailed and continued to be an issue. In 1937, California have had a law about “Anti-Oakie” which suggests that if a person will bring somebody who is not a citizen of the state will be guilty for an offense. In fact, Edwards California has been convicted because of bringing his brother-in-law to California. However, this did not stop the migrants to go to California and some of them are proud on doing well in California as Oakies. But unfortunately, this does not apply to every Oakies who fled to California (Gregory, 1989). In the latter half of the 20^th century, the term is used to refer to an attitude of being a survivor.

Thus, discrimination and disparity prevail to be the major treatment for the Oakies in the novel and is present in reality. The novel just pictured out the real scenarios that happened during the great depression era in the year 1930s where the characters in real life are portrayed by the Joad family and other significant characters in the story. The novel leaves a mark of poverty in reality and socialism has been the main theme of Steinbeck in applying the negative things that happen in the world not just in one place but also in every part of the world. The great depression of the migrants is just an example of how these kinds of people experience such inhumane and cruel treatment from rich people.

Conclusion

The novel depicted a social significance throughout the story and represent reality through describing the natural scenes that happen in the world. The author put a highlight on the time where the country experienced a serious kind of crisis and presented the hardships that the people have gone through. Accordingly, the author used the Joad family to reflect the social problems at the time of the great depression which disrupts the rights and freedom of the poor. This also served as a way of realizing that the people being discriminated needs help in order to survive (Zirakzadeh, 2004).

However, in spite of the trials and hardships that the family experienced, the author significantly backed up the strengths of the characters in the story through the illustration of human determination and the willingness to survive. Primarily, the story reveals human perseverance and socialism which runs all throughout the story. When the failure of the economic system is shown, the ideas conveyed in the novel made their way to become popular. This economic system is said to be capitalism and it needs a transformation. The fortunate people or those who are in the high-level status in the society abused the depression of the poor people through providing jobs that have low wages while they earn a high profit. The rich people benefits from the poor ones and they take advantage for the sake of getting richer.

John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath is a good novel that pushes hope for the people to see what was happening to our nation’s people in reality. The author wanted to open the eyes of the audience in order to see the hardships that Oakies faced in everyday life through the Joad family story. Initiating with the ex-convict son of one of the main characters in the story suggested a normal life for the family but the external factors have impacted essentially the way the family took their journey. After the eviction from their property by the bank, the family started to feel the great depression together with other migrants (Saxton, 2004).

But, the good thing is, the family did not give up and just go on with taking the path to the future. Nurturing the past though may paralyze the present and indeed disrupt the future. Life is unpredictable where in twists and surprises are present. Black may turn into white all of a sudden and white may turn into black as well. Living life to the fullest is the best way to enjoy life with the lessons that every day’s trials leave for each other in spite of the struggles that a person may face. Faith should devour the trials and hardships of life’s journey. The Joad family presented an inspiring story of being strong in the midst of poverty and starvation of the economy together with other people that they meet in the road. In order for them to survive, sacrifices should be done and a consideration of a great effort has to be made. There is always sunshine after the rain indeed. But sometimes sunshine still lead to rain even how bright the sun shines and smiles for each life. At the end of the day, surviving in this world requires understanding of the dark side of living before enjoying the blessings of God and seeing the light. Acceptance should be noted and faith should be strengthened in order to completely see the light and survive from the dark. The novel left a historical identity for the scenarios of the great depression that happened during the era and how the people are mistreated which made the people now realize of the flaws of the past.

References

Gregory, J. N. “Dust Bowl Legacies: the Okie Impact on California, 1939-1989.” California History. 1989. 68(3): 74-85.
Phillips, B. and Hopson, D.SparkNote on The Grapes of Wrath. Web.
Saxton, A. “In Dubious Battle: Looking Backward.” Pacific Historical Review 2004 73(2): 249-262.
Windschuttle, K. “Steinbeck’s Myth of the Okies”. The New Criterion, Vol. 20, No. 10, 2002.
Zirakzadeh, C.E. “John Steinbeck on the Political Capacities of Everyday Folk: Moms, Reds, and Ma Joad’s Revolt.” Polity 2004 36(4): 595-618.

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The Reality of the Great Depression in Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath”

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