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Essay on the book grapes of wrath
The grapes of wrath critical essay
A literary analysis essay about an intercalary chapter of The Grapes of Wrath
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Heroism is different to each person, to someone it might be to look impressive, or act above the ordinary and to another it might be having amazing strength or courage in dangerous situations, every culture has its individual ideas of what the ideal hero should be, but for most parts the general definition of a hero is universal therefore difficult to elude. In both the grapes of wrath by John Steinbeck and Mr. smith goes to Washington by Frank Capra there is a similarity in their ideology of a hero because both heroes were Bold, Selfless and Morally just. To begin with, both the movie and the book explained and emphasized on the importance of being bold. In The grapes of the wrath Tom showcased his boldness through bravery …show more content…
In The grapes of wrath Tom is moved to protect his extended family. For example Tom’s second departure while he was saying goodbye to his mother he said, “ Whenever they’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there. Whenever they’s a cop beatin’ up a guy, I’ll be there…. and when our folks eat the stuff they raise an’ live in the houses—why I’ll be there.” (419) this is tom dropping his Naïve self absorbed attitude and carrying on a bigger mantle of a protector, devoting his time to always be there when the need arises for his people. In comparison Mr. Smith goes to Washington, Smith decides that he was not going to seat back and say or do nothing rather he was going to fight for “the lost cause” the same lost cause that Payne told him were the only causes worth fighting for and even dying for like his father clayton smith has done. Smith challenges the senate one more time saying “ you think I’m licked. You all think I’m licked. Well I’m not licked! And I’m going to stay right here and fight for this lost cause, even if this room gets gilled with lies and like these, and the Taylors and all their armies come marching into this place! Somebody’ll listen to me… Somebody…” This act is seen as an act of selflessness because Payne and Taylor plans to use the land for their own benefit while smith plans to use it to …show more content…
Smith goes to Washington suggests that their creators ideas of the ideal hero is built on bravery, morality and selflessness which amongst others are traits of a true
When times get tough, many people turn away from everyone and everything. It must be part of human nature to adopt an independent attitude when faced with troubles. It is understandable because most people do not want to trouble their loved ones when they are going through problems, so it is easier to turn away than stick together. Maybe their family is going through a rough patch and they reason they would be better off on their own. This path of independence and solitude may not always be the best option for them or their family, though. Often times it is more beneficial for everyone to work through the problem together. It is not always the easiest or most desirable option, but most times it is the most efficient and it will get results in the long run. In The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck makes this point very clear through several characters. Many characters throughout
Although not every hero shouts “Avengers Assemble” before a worthy deed, heroism is shown in all aspects of the everyday world. Webster Dictionary has exactly 5 definitions under the word hero and still no two people explain heroism the same. Superman and Captain America are a glimpse of the fictional characters society titles a hero. Firefighters and Military portray heroism each day in the lives of every civilian. As Sullivan and Venter stated “individuals are referred to as ‘heroes’ for seemingly different reasons” and even through endless studies the adjectives referring heroes is ever changing. Among the various ideas of what it means to be a hero, boldness and valiance capture the essence of heroism.
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck had many comparisons from the movie and the book. In 1939, this story was to have some of the readers against the ones that kept the American people in poverty held responsible for their actions. This unique story was about the Joad’s family, who were migrant workers looking for a good decent job. They were also farmers from Oklahoma that are now striving to find some good work and success for their family in California. This novel was one of Steinbeck’s best work he has ever done. It was in fact an Academy Award movie in 1940. Both the movie and the novel are one of Steinbeck’s greatest masterpieces on both the filmmaking and the novel writing. Both the novel and film are mainly the same in the beginning of the story and towards the end. There were some few main points that Steinbeck took out from the book and didn’t mention them in the movie. “The Grapes of Wrath is a
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.
In the novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck the author uses excessive profanity, religion, and migrants to show the hard times family’s had to go through in the 1930’s. Most people believe that Steinbeck novel is too inappropriate for high school students because of its content. This novel should be banned from the high school curriculum.
The Grapes of Wrath is a novel written by John Steinbeck, which focuses on an Oklahoman family that is evicted from their farm during an era of depression caused by the Dust Bowl. The Joad family alongside thousands of other refugees (also affected by the dirty thirties) migrates west towards California seeking employment and a new home. John Steinbeck’s purpose for writing this novel was to inform his audience of how many of their fellow Americans were being mistreated and of the tribulations they faced in order to attain regain what they once had. As a result, The Grapes of Wrath triggered its audience’s sympathy for the plight of the Dust Bowl farmers and their families.
The differences between selfishness and selflessness are strong throughout The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Everywhere the Joad family goes there is always someone to either push them into the dirt or give them a hand out of the dirt. This happened far and wide, people can be greedy, selfish, and rapacious. It’s in our nature, but even in desperate times when people have a right to be selfish, some will find the will in their heart to aid those who can’t help themselves.
... for the Joads and a burning hatred against the greedy landowners who crushed the hearts of the destitute. It establishes a desire for the unloved land owned by selfish landowners. The once comforting scenery is instead spiked with an intense lust for the land and an ensuing hatred for those who own it. But still, the Joads held on to a stubborn hope, the only comfort they had and the only reason they continued to fight. A quote from Chapter 20 of The Grapes of Wrath explains this, “Why, Tom - us people will go on livin' when all them people is gone. Why, Tom, we're the people that live. They ain't gonna wipe us out. Why, we're the people - we go on.” (Steinbeck 359) Steinbeck’s writing style effectively develops these opinions of the readers, preserving the sympathy for the migrant workers for years to come. (Shmoop Editorial Team, "The Grapes of Wrath Analysis")
... states, “. . .and in the eyes of the people there is the failure; and in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath. In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage.” (Grapes, 385) This is a shockingly accurate summary of everything this timeless novel was written to represent, and will forever continue to represent.
Successful heroes in literature must overcome plenty of obstacles in order to finish their journey. In fact, the journey of a hero in literature is characterized by 12 specific stages: ordinary world, call to adventure, refusal of the call, meeting with the mentor, crossing the first threshold, tests and allies, approach, ordeal, reward, the road back, resurrection hero, and return with elixir.1 The Grapes of Wrath is an allegory for the hero’s journey because the Joads experience each of these stages on their trek from Oklahoma to California.
In literature as well as in life always find themselves making difficult choices. However, their decisions and actions can greatly affect the outcome. In The Grapes of Wrath, we learned that the characters also found themselves in tough predicaments. Nevertheless, the nature of their choices helped to make a triumphant result. Ma and Tom made hard decisions and survived.
Joseph Campbell once said “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” This quotes talks about how in order to be a hero, you have to care about other people. It really emphasizes that you cannot be a true hero if you only care about yourself. All traits and functions that people would consider heroic involve others, not just themselves. There are so many heroic traits out there, but 3 are very important. A true hero is courageous, will rescue others in need, and does not look down on people who are not privileged.
Tom Joad experiences many struggles in The Grapes of Wrath. Due to his struggles, he undergoes an immense change that causes him from being unconcerned and impassive to being contemplative and expressive. The journey with Casy and his family affects how he achieves success to become a true, strong character. With his responsibility of taking care of the family, he carries great burden and doubtful decisions of leading them to California. Throughout the journey, he faces trials and sufferings that lead him to have an inner conflict with himself in order for his family to have the golden opportunity to live prosperously in the scarce but hopeful land. His moments of feeling helplessness and vulnerability in the position of a deterred migrant,
The Grapes of Wrath is a wonderful book. In the beginning, when Tom Joad gets released from priso...
When I think of a hero I immediately think of someone who is strong, intelligent, handsome, and daring. Upon closer examination, many different qualities than these become apparent. Courage, honesty, bravery, selflessness, and the will to try are just a few of the overlooked qualities of a hero. The definition of heroism changes with the context and time. Heroes of the past are not necessarily heroes of present time and vise versa.