Intercalary Themes In 'The Grapes Of Wrath'

354 Words1 Page

Grapes of Wrath2 In the Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck uses intercalary chapters to provide background for the various themes of the novel, as well to set the tone of the novel".
The turtle is a metaphor for the working class farmers whose stories and struggles are recounted in The Grapes of Wrath. In Chapter 3, the turtle plods along dutifully, but is consistently confronted with danger and setbacks. Significantly, the dangers posed to the turtle are those of modernity and business. It is the intrusion of cars and the building of highways that endanger the turtle. The truck that strikes it is a symbol of big business and commerce. “The turtle entered a dust road and jerked itself along, drawing a wavy shallow trench in the dust with its

Open Document