Grapes Of Wrath By Steinbeck Essays (3635 words) - U.S. Route 66

Grapes Of Wrath By Steinbeck In the beginning of the chapter the book Steinbeck discusses the earth. It tells how dry the soil is and how even walking stirred up a dust cloud. It tells how the people have adapted such as wearing mask and goggles to protect the air they breathe. The people were devastated by the dust storms that block out the sun and the stars. The land is dry and cracked, the crops are withered and dieing; much like the peoples spirits. Chapter 2 The chapter starts out at a truck stop. Steinbeck implies the importance of a truck stop to truckers. It provides a driver conversation and entertainment with people. The workers are to the driver a distant family. Truck stops provide companionship with people in the same industry and know what it feels like. This is where Steinbeck introduces Tom Joad. Tom and the driver are both dressed in new clothes but, unlike the driver Tom's clothes came from McCalaster. McCalaster is a prison where he spent four years, in punishment for homicide. Tom was at the truck stop looking for a ride. He sat on the running board of a rig, until the driver came out. Tom questioned if the owner of the truck would actually stop him from giving Tom a ride. The driver gave in and let Tom ride along. Chapter 3 This chapter was first about the dry grasses along a highway, and then about a turtle. I think the significance of the turtle in the chapter is to show that all living things must keep moving to survive. Also, to show that there are two types of people in this world, kind people and mean people. When the turtle was on the road a lady tried to miss hitting the turtle. While a man swerved to hit it; thus flipping the turtle over on his back. The turtle struggled back on to his stomach and continued on. Chapter 4 Tom was walking down a gravel road on his way home and picked up a turtle as a present for his brother and sister. As he went along he grew tired from the hot Oklahoma sun and stopped at a tree along the road and met an old friend named Jim Casy. Jim used to be a preacher but, had lost the calling. Now Jim just bummed around the area and theorized about life. The only information Jim was able to give Tom, was that things were changing and people were leaving, due to the drought. In the end of the chapter Jim decided to go with Tom to his old house to visit. Chapter 5 The chapter discussed a political monster. Steinbeck talked about the banks and how the banks ordered the people off the land. The men could do nothing. The wanted to rotate the crops but, they were out of time. There was nothing left that they could do. The corporations were the monsters and the banks worked for the corporations. The banks sent out tractors at the corporate commands. They sent tractors to till the soil and make it into one big field, plowing over anything it the way; and the families fled. Chapter 6 Tom and Casy went to the house and found it deserted. The house was leaning and knocked off it's foundation. The tools were gone, the water trough dry and cracked and the well dry. There was cotton planted right up around the house where there never was any before. The only thing that was left was a gray cat. As they sat on the porch a man came along, just walking created a huge cloud of dust. The man's name was Muley graves, he had lost his farm also but decided to stay. Tom was lucky that Muley stopped, Muley explained how a man came and told them kindly to get off the land and the man was sorry but it wasn't his decision. He also brought along rabbits that they cleaned and ate for dinner. After dinner a deputy showed up, and they ran out to the cotton field and hid. The deputy would not come out in the field, because Muley had hit him one time. After the deputy left they went down by the creek and slept in a shallow cave. Chapter 7 The chapter discusses the car sales men. It talks about how they take up peoples time then make them feel bad so they will buy something. Or how