Grapes of Wrath :: essays papers

Grapes of WrathThe Grapes of WrathTheres an old saying, Blood is thicker than water. Well, nothing proves truer than the families in The Grapes of Wrath. When approach with hardships, people leaned on their kin for support and love, and in the worst of times would even turn their backs on those they had known for years to protect and provide for their families...Cant hypothesize of that. Got to think of my own kids. Three dollars a day, and it comes every day. Times are changing, mister, dont you know? Cant make a living on the land unlessyouve got two, five, ten mebibyte acres and a tractor. Crop land isnt for little guys like us any more. You dont kick up a fowl because you cant make Fords, or because youre not the telephone company. Nothing to do about it. You try to get three dollars a day someplace. Thats the only way. (50)The Joad family is no exception. Their trials, tribulations, and broken dreams speckle suffering through the harsh realities of a fallen Ameri ca only bring them closer together and remind the reader of true family values.When the reader is first introduced to the Joads, as a full family, one can sense the love immediately. Ma moved towards Tom lithely, soundlessly...And her joy was almost like sorrow (101). Even though she hasnt seen him for quite some time, and that whitethorn be the initial reason for her wonderment, she truely loves Tom and Steinbeck does an excellent job of portraying the emotions involved. Even when Granma and Granpa come into the house, the same emotions are evident, although the actions are quite opposite. Granma repeatedly pu-raises Gawd, while Granpa walks up and slaps Tom, with his eyes grinning with affection and pride. The reader knows the Joads can hold love for a person no matter how long hes been gone, or where hes been (and in this case, prison). designer Reverend Jim Casy is even accepted as one of their own when he arrives with Tom at Uncle Johns house. Ma makes sure there is roo m on the transport for him and Tom calls him over as if he were one of the men in the family. Casy knew the government of families, and he knew he had been taken