The Grapes Of Wrath Film Analysis

A car passes by. It labors down Route 66 as the tires struggle to complete every rotation. Piled high with the worldly possessions of a weary Oklahoma family, it tilts precariously under the weight of thirteen people. The car forges west not from the power of its engine but from sheer force of will. The promises of California, 1500 miles and a world away from their hometown Sallisaw, pushes the car down Route 66. John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath depicts the singular migration of the Joad family in the mass exodus prompted by the Dust Bowl. The Midwest, stricken by drought, makes the visions of green acres, luscious fruit trees, and unlimited jobs for the countless out-of-work farmers even more appealing. These images of California, in stark

The barrenness of Oklahoma forced the family toward the opposite of Midwestern misery—California. The fierce beauty exists as the antithesis to flat, dusty, drought-stricken Sallisaw. Tall tales of imposing mountains, endless skies, and lush acres full of farming potential creates a collective mental image that pushes away reservations and fear. This folkloric depiction of a setting that is indeed one of the most beautiful places on the planet, however, forces all California dream seekers to ignore the less scenic aspects of their realities. California, though one of America’s wealthiest regions, still sees high rates of poverty and an unemployment rate nearly eighteen percent higher than the national average. Its most iconic areas are associated with excessive wealth, from the technology industry in the Silicon Valley to the nouveau riche Hollywood. A shrinking middle class and increasing tax rates and rent costs are the disappointing elements of life in California that often disregarded—the median home value in San Francisco is $1,146,800 and $610,400 in Los Angeles, while the median list price of Sallisaw is just $115,000. The fantasy of California overpowers the fact that the images of perfection and success are deceiving and often unattainable. The Joad family possesses a universal quest wealth in their journey west. Even in

From Santa Clara University students, technology startups, or fame and notoriety-seeking actors and musicians, pursuers of the California dream approach an intangible dream through a concrete action. Trade in a sawdust-filled, finicky Jalopy for a 747, Greyhound bus, or Amtrak—the journey nonetheless acts as one of the most important qualities of the California dream. The physicality of moving from one location to another is symbolically significant, as a change in location represents a change of mind and heart. The Joads physically and emotionally leave the past behind them. The pain of eviction from their land by the banks, seeing their hometown fall prey to environmental devastation, and Tom Joad’s criminal past are left behind. The ability to give up your past exists as a blessing and a curse in terms of the California dream—the loss of uprooting yourself from your home and the joy of releasing yourself from the painful elements of your former life. Despite the exhaustion, turmoil, and tragedy of the Jalopy’s trip down Route 66, the physical journey allowed the chance for a mental and emotional adjustment. The culture of California is like no other, and the culture shock between Dustbowl and Depression-stricken Oklahoma and the lush and mountainous California is extreme. Their often negatively depicted migration did provide some positive aspects—the ability to