3.Analysis

 Analysis

//The Grapes of Wrath// is based on the classic novel by John Steinbeck about the Joad family's plight during the Great Depression. The subject of the story is the obstacles and struggles the Joad family and all the other Oklahoma citizens face to survive. The chapter is written in third person narrative therefore the tone changes often, to illustrate the "big picture" and the more personal aspects of the struggle that affect the family. The dangers in nature represent the dangers in society. Steinbeck spends a great deal describing the agricultural conditions with the intention of equating land to the sense of personal identity. The land is what they know and are familiar with therefore is a significant to their individuality. Steinbeck's description that, "Every day the earth pales..." (page 4) and that "The dawn came, but no day" (page 5) depicts the hopelessness of the situation that the Joad's face. The earth turning pale represents a loss of life and fading colors represents a lack of a future. Dawns never ending presence is symbolic of sadness and grief. Steinbeck's selective diction that uses colors to symbolize emotions helps to create the overall picture of desperation. Because so much dust accumulates, the family closes their doors which represent isolation and a sense of no escape. The houses are described as being "shut tight, and cloth wedged around doors and windows, but the dust came in so thinly that it could not be seen in the air, and it settle like pollen on the chairs and tables, on the dishes." (page 5) By describing the Joad family's desperate behavior, Steinbeck effectively depicts how the poor agricultural conditions become a burden on the family and therefore ultimately force them to find ways to survive.
 * dangers in nature represent the dangers in society
 * the earth pales & dawn came, but no day:use of colors to symbolize emotions which helps to create the overall picture of desperation
 * closed doors: enclosure and isolation
 * poor agricultural conditions become a burden on the family