The Grapes of Wrath by John Stienbeck

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The Grapes of Wrath by John Stienbeck

In The Grapes of Wrath, Stienbeck illustrates such powerful images using his own values. When the Joad family starts deciding to move to California for a better life, the story begins. Tom comes home from prison and the family is reunited. The hopes of all are refreshed and the move seems to be a good idea. And here we have one of Steinbecks greatest value, the family or the group, and the ties that lie within it. This value is seen through many different examples in this novel.

The first and the main example of the family value would most obviously be seen through the Joad family. Even though each person has his or her own separate and unique personalities, as a family they act as though they are one person. It makes important decisions as a group; such as moving to California. Then moving as a group; taking everyone at all costs. It reacts to major events the same. As a group, the Joad family makes the long journey across the country. As the story plays on, the Joads merge with Wainwrights and the Wilsons. Bringing the sense of a whole back to the immagrants. And again like the Joad family, everyone shares to make things work out for all. This idea is the value of family that Steinbeck is portraying.

In the Government camp, Steinbeck's values are shown on a larger scale. With the cooperation of hundreds of men and women, a suitable camp is formed in the midst of a corrupt society. The people act as one; they elect their own leaders, and obey the laws that are set. A set of laws that must be followed because without the laws, there would be no group. Allowing the group to prosper from all the individuals. In one scene there are three people who try to cause trouble at a dance. With the unison of the camp, the outcasts are surrounded and discarded without any ruckus. Steinbeck shows that with a group, things can get done.

As the story comes to a close, the Joad family is almost all broken up. In a bigger perspective than the government camp, the final scene implies what Cassy was trying to say from the beginning; that nobody has an individual soul, but everybody's just got a piece of a great big soul.

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