Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is a novel depicting the struggle and distraught brought towards migrant workers during the Great Depression. The Grapes of Wrath follows one Oklahoma family, the Joads, as they journey down Route 66 towards the earthly paradise of California. While on route to California, the Joads interact with fellow besieged families, non-hospitable farmers, and common struggles due to the Depression. Steinbeck uses these events to show strong brotherhood through biblical allusion, character development, and inter chapters.

Biblical allusion is found extremely often in the pages of The Grapes of Wrath. Through biblical allusion, Steinbeck portrays the brotherhood of the migrant workers. For example, in the Bible, Moses' mother puts baby Moses in a basket, which takes him down a river. Later, Moses tells his slaves that he will lead them to freedom. In The Grapes of Wrath Rose of Sharon, the Joad's eldest daughter gives birth to a dead baby because of the starvation and poor conditions of the migrant farmers. The Joad's do not have enough money to give the baby a proper burial so Ma, the backbone of the Joad family, instructs Uncle John to bury the baby himself. Instead of following Ma's orders, Uncle John sends the deceased infant down a river in an apple box.

He said fiercely, "Go down an' tell 'em. Go down in the street an' rot an' tell 'em that way. That's the way you can talk. Don' even know if you was a boy or a girl. Ain't gunna find out. Go on down now, an' lay in the street. Maybe they'll [the farmers] know then" (609).

Uncle John does this to show the farmers that lack of work and food is killing innocent babies. This symbolizes that the migrant workers must join together in brotherhood to survive.

The characters of the Joad family all go through extreme changes during their challenging journey. Rose of Sharon begins the journey as only caring about herself, then caring about her family and then finally, showing concern for society. For example, Rose of Sharon and her husband, Connie, are expecting a baby. At first, Rose of Sharon's only concern was the welfare of herself and her husband. When Connie leaves Rose of Sharon to raise a child on her own, she pities herself and no one else. Next Rose of Sharon shows concern for her family when she volunteers to watch over Tom, one of the Joad's older sons, as he sleeps. Finally, Rose of Sharon completes the character development chain by showing concern for society. Rose of Sharon does this by offering her breast milk in order to save a starving man's life.