The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

The Grapes of Wrath The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck was a novel about people that learn that they can achieve more together than they can alone. This book did meet the criteria of Aristotle's "Poetics". There were many memorable characters, memorable scenes, a significant theme, and the use of language was very important. The memorable characters were Pa, Ma, Granpa, Granma, Casy, Tom, Al, Noah, Uncle John, the pregnant Rose of Sharon, Connie, Ruthie, and Winfield. The story starts out when Tom gets out of prison and goes back to his home in Salisaw, Oklahoma. On the way he meets up with Casy, the old preacher from Salisaw. They both decide to go to see Tom's family together, only when they arrive at his father's farm, no one is there. Everyone in the area had moved because of a dust storm that had ruined all of the land. They find that the family is at his uncle's home so the two decide to make the trip there the next day. When they arrive, the entire family is getting ready to make a trip to California to find work and Tom and Casy join them, breaking Tom's parole. Along the way, many terrible things happen. First, Granpa dies, putting Granma and all of the others in a state of depression. The family drives day and night stopping every so often to eat and sleep. Then, the time comes when they have to cross the desert to get into California. The oldest brother, Noah, decides to stay along the river because, he feels like he is a burden on the family and he can not go on. At the same time, Granma is becoming very ill and on the trip across the desert, she also passes away. When they cross the desert and have reached California, they stop at a camp. There, Connie, feeling that he could not provide for Rose of Sharon or his unborn child, went off on his own. Casy, the preacher, takes the blame for Tom knocking a policeman out. He felt that he owed it to him because he was not a member of the family and Tom had broken his probation and he would have to go back to prison if he were caught. Later in the book, Tom meets up with Casy again, who is striking against his employer who Tom now works for. Some men came for the strikers and end up killing Casy.