The Grapes of Wrath (16-19 D) *

The Joads family at the beginning before the trip to California was much different. They depended on each other and cared about each other.The gender role was also different.

When Rose decides to leave the family when they get to California Ma gets worried and says "aint you gona stay with us-the family...We dont want you to go'way from us..It ain't good for folk to break up." She believes that separating from the family will be a bad idea because they dont know how California is like and it might be dangerous if shes alone. Ma just wants the family to stay together and do everything together. She knows that if the family breaks up it would be bad for everyone because she believed family should always stick together no matter so that they can deal and face every problem together. 

What changes is the gender roles in the family. Ma begans to wear the pants in the family by what she says goes. She takes away pa's authority in the family and controls the whole group.At first the family would do something after pa tells them to do it but ma then takes over and takes control of the family. She takes over and gives pa a hard time because she said that if the man worries too much it will eat him alive. Ma doing this was for the best so that pa would not go crazy or anything. 

The Grapes of Wrath (16-19 C)

Fear.The people fear for their lives and whats gonna happen to them and how they will survive. They fear that California will not be as good as people say or the rumors about California being true.

My poem is written in migrants perspective. Its what they're thinking about California and if its worth it or not.

Is California the right place?
Is it what people really say it is?
Will it actually change things?
Will I no longer starve?
Can I finally support my family?
California
Claimed to be everything you want
Everything you need.
From supporting your family
To a great life
It's the key to freedom
That everybody is searching for

The Grapes of Wrath (11-15 D)

"It's too much-livin too many lives.Up ahead theys' a thousan' lives we might live,but when it comes,it'll on'y be one.If I go ahead on all of 'em,it's too much.You got to live ahead ' cause you're so young,but-it's jus' the road goin' by for me..."(124)

This quote really stuck out to me because I feel like it connects with our society today. Its like how people live this double life or something to fit in with the crowd. People would do something they don't actually like just because its the trend or its what the cool kids are doing nowadays. Sometimes people would do something they completely disagree with just so that somebody else would accept them and want to hangout with them. I see the part "Up ahead theys' a thousan' lives we might live,but when it comes,it'll on'y be one" as like you can act like a thousand different people but in reality you'll always end up being yourself and no one else. This quote is telling you to be yourself and not try to impress anyone because being you should be enough for that person or else they really aren't your true friend. I also took away from this quote that you should live your life to the fullest because you are only young for a point of your life and then eventually you have to grow up and face the real responsibilities in life.

The Grapes of Wrath (11-15 B)

Route 66 was known as the "Mother Road" by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath. This route went all the way from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles,California creating a bunch of connections between small towns. This route helped hundreds of thousands during the Great Depression to migrant from the Midwest to go to California to look for jobs and find a better life. This route was also a very popular one for trucks because the it was mainly flat. During World War II Route 66 was also used to move military equipment.
The route is significant to the Joads and all migrants because it was there entrance to freedom. They believed that it would take them to California which means they will have a better life and get a job.
http://amhistory.si.edu/onthemove/exhibition/exhibition_10_2.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#Route_facts






        http://amhistory.si.edu/onthemove/exhibition/exhibition_10_2.html

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug02/carney/map.html

The Grapes of Wrath (1-10 H)

"He done a little bad thing an' they hurt 'im, caught 'im an' hurt him so he was mad, an' the nex' bad thing he done was mad, an' they hurt 'im again. An' purty soon he was mean-mad. They shot at him like a varmint, an' he shot back, an' then they run him like a coyote, an' him a-snappin' an' a-snarlin',mean as a lobo. And he was mad. He wasn't no boy or no man no more, he was jus' a walkin' chunk a mean-mad" (76).


The repetition is used to explain the cruel actions and the effect of violence. Mad is repeated to express the emotions he has against his family. Hurt him being repeated is to say how he hurts his family in the process and then he gets mad at them. He uses these words to express his emotions and to describe how he feels towards his family. He constantly repeats those words to emphasize how much he really means it. Its to help us understand him and imagine how he feels. 

The Grapes of Wrath (1-10 D) *

Even though in the 1930s the Great Depression was happening this time period was when car designs had the most significant new feature to the automobiles.The designs of the car were artistic and sophisticated. They developed automatic transmissions and different power for the engines like the V-8,V-12, and the V-16.This time period was when they began to add automatic chocks,gearshifts on the sheering column,smoothly shifting transmissions,trunks that were built into the car and hydraulic brakes. The cars appeared with rounded edges,headlights that were built within the chassis of the car and they were also make more comfortable to drive.The radiator grille and shell were also changed a little in order to make the car look more speedier.Low pressure inner tube tires and wind shield wipers were also added to the car in order for it to be safer. GM,Ford and Chrysler were known as the "big 3 auto makers." The cars had to catch the peoples attention the most mostly because during this time period barely anybody was buying cars due to the lack of money.
http://www.thefinertimes.com/The-1930s/1930s-cars-great-innovation-despite-tough-times.html
http://www.anythingaboutcars.com/1930scars.html

1930s was one the best years for the automobile industry. They improved on everything to make people want to buy the cars more even though they didn't really have money to spare. They added things to the car to make it look better and safer which made the people want it even more. Even though the Depression was happening during this time they still managed to do a lot of good things with automobiles that effect them today.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/classic-cars8.htm

http://www.anythingaboutcars.com/1930scars.html

The Grapes of Wrath (1-10 F)

The theme Faith is a common one used in the book Grapes of Wrath. 

"Maybe it's all men an all women we love;maybe that's the Holy Sperit-the human sperit-the whole shebang.Maybe all men got one big soul ever'body's a part of.Now I sat there thinkin it,an all of a sudden-I knew it.I knew it so deep down that it was true,and I still know it."(24)

Casy believes that all men are all part of one big "human sperit." They no longer believe in god.

"I aint preachin no more much.The sperit ain't in the people much no more;and worse'n that,the sperit ain't in me no more.Course now an again the sperit gets movin an I rip out a meetin,or when folks sets out food I give em a grace,but my heart ain't in it.I on'y do it cause they expect it." (20) 

People stopped having pride and faith as the Depression hits in the 1930s. Casy drinks alcohol to numb the lost of spirt and soul inside his body. He preaches her and then but thats only hes around people that believe still. He only does it because he has to not because he wants to.

The Grapes of Wrath (1-10 A) *

The Great Depression:

The collapse of the US stock market on October 29,1929 known as Black Tuesday was the main reason The Great Depression began. Everybody was trying to sell their stocks but nobody was willing to buy it. At first the stock market was the best way to become rich but instead it was the way to bankruptcy. The Stock Market crashing also affected banks causing them to close down. Banks used their clients money to invest in the stock market but once it crashed they had lost everything and the bank was forced to shut down. The bank shutting down meant that their clients had also lost all the money they had put in. People rushed to the open banks left and withdraw all their money before it was too late but some of them did not make it in time causing them to also become bankrupt. The crash also affected businesses causing them to cut back the amount of workers and hours and wages. Businesses were also affected by people spending less money on unnecessary things causing business to also cut down on employees. Some stores could not manage to stay open causing all the employees to be jobless. http://history1900s.about.com/od/1930s/p/greatdepression.htm

The stock market crashing caused a 89% decline in stock prices. It also rose the unemployment percentage and the wages began to go down for the employees that still had a job. Homes and other things were repossessed or put in foreclosure. Farmers were also affected by this crash because it caused the collapse of food prices and the lost of exporting. Farmers also lost their land and equipment.In 1932 the unemployment rate was past 20 percent. Millions of people were homeless and thousands of businesses and banks had closed down.People had returned home finding that their family was living on the street and their possessions.Some people went from town to town to look for jobs but they could not find anything because they did not exist.People had to look in dumps and garbage cans in order to find food to eat and survive. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/g/great_depression_1930s/

http://www.doctorhousingbubble.com/bank-failure-indymac-bank-lessons-from-the-great-depression-part-xiv-bank-failures/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression