Biblical Allusions and Imagery in Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath
John Steinbeck always makes it a point to know about his subjects
first hand. His stories always have some factual basis behind them.
Otherwise, he does not believe that they will be of any value beyond
artistic impression. Therefore, most of his novels take place in
California, the site of his birth and young life. In preparation for
writing his novels, Steinbeck would often travel with people about whom he
was going to write. The Grapes of Wrath was no exception to his other
works. To prepare for it, he joined migrants in Oklahoma and rode with
them to California. When he got to California, he lived with them, joining
them in their quest for work. By publishing these experiences and trials
of the migrants he achieved an effect that won him the Nobel Prize for
literature in 1962. The writing of The Grapes of Wrath coincided with the
Great Depression. This time of hardship and struggle for the rest of
America gave Steinbeck inspiration for his work. Other peoples' stories of
everyday life became issues for Steinbeck. His writings spoke out against those who
kept the oppressed in poverty and therefore was branded as a Communist
because of his "voice." Although, it did become a bestseller and receive
countless awards, his book was banned in many schools and libraries.
However, critics never attacked The Grapes of Wrath on the artistic level
and they still consider it a beautifully mastered work of art. More than
any other American novel, it successfully embodies a contemporary social
problem of national scope in an artistically viable expression.1 In The
Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck utilizes Biblical imagery and allusions to
illustrate the struggle of the Joad family as a direct parallel with that
of the Hebrew people.
Steinbeck bolsters the strength of structure and character
development in the book through Biblical allusions and imagery. Peter
Lisca has noted that the novel reflects the three-part division of the Old
Testament exodus account which includes captivity, journey, and the
promised land.2 The Joads' story is a direct parallel with that of the
Hebrews. Just as the Hebrews were captives of the Pharaoh, the Joads' are
captives of their farm. Both make long and arduous journeys until they
reach their promised land. Israel is the final destination for the Hebrews
and California plays the same role for the Joads. Hunter mentions several
of the parallels in the novel. When the Joads embark on their journey,
there are twelve members which corresponds to the twelve tribes of Israel
who are leaving the old order behind.
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
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
Steinbeck's relationship to the transcendentalists [Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman] was pointed out soon after The Grapes of Wrath appeared by Frederick I. Carpenter, and as the thirties fade into history, Jim Casy with his idea of the holiness of all men and the unreality of sin seems less a product of his own narrowly doctrinaire age than a latter-day wanderer from the green village of Concord to the dry plains of the West.
John Steinbeck wrote the The Grapes of Wrath in 1939 to rouse its readers against those who were responsible for keeping the American people in poverty. The Grapes of Wrath tells the story of the Joad family, migrant farmers from Oklahoma traveling to California in search of an illusion of prosperity. The novel's strong stance stirred up much controversy, as it was often called Communist propaganda, and banned from schools due to its vulgar language. However, Steinbeck's novel is considered to be his greatest work. It won the Pulitzer Prize, and later became an Academy Award winning movie in 1940. The novel and the movie are both considered to be wonderful masterpieces, epitomizing the art of filmmaking and novel-writing.
They use up their time playing on their $700 cellphones, only to try and blind themselves from reality in the virtual one. People need to get their heads out of the dark and start dealing with this problem one person at a time, and if everyone did it, the problem would be solved overnight. The problem is that, we as people, keep turning the homeless “into an issue, not a collection of human beings”. We, as a group of successful individuals, need to take notice of those individuals in need, treat them like the people they are, and stop dehumanizing the homeless. All they need is a shove in the right direction, and with a little help standing on their own, they will flourish as individuals and become just as successful as the
Homeless or not, we were all raised and taught not to do the things that would hurt people. The way homeless people are being treated in today’s world is out of hand and it needs to come to an end. The homeless are humiliated, assaulted, talked badly about, and overly stressed due to traumatic experiences.
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is considered a classic novel by many in the literary field. The trials and tribulations of the Joad family and other migrants is told throughout this novel. In order to gain a perspective into the lives of "Oakies", Steinbeck uses themes and language of the troubling times of the Great Depression. Some of these aspects are critiqued because of their vulgarity and adult nature. In some places, The Grapes of Wrath has been edited or banned. These challenges undermine Steinbeck's attempts to add reality to the novel and are unjustified.
The Grapes of Wrath combines Steinbeck adoration of the land, his simple hatred of corruption resulting from materialism (money) and his abiding faith in the common people to overcome the hostile environment. The novel opens with a retaining picture of nature on rampage. The novel shows the men and women that are unbroken by nature. The theme is one of man verses a hostile environment. His body destroyed but his spirit is not broken. The method used to develop the theme of the novel is through the use of symbolism. There are several uses of symbols in the novel from the turtle at the beginning to the rain at the end. As each symbol is presented through the novel they show examples of the good and the bad things that exist within the novel.
It is true that some individuals are homeless not because of bad habits one might have, but because of financial reasons. A lot of society that is part of this problem is because they simply do not make enough at their low
?Over the past year, over two million men, women, and children were homeless? in America. (NLCHP) Homeless people face an intense struggle just to stay alive despite the fact that society turns its head from the problem. The government makes laws that discriminate against homeless people, which make it, illegal for them to survive. The mistreatment of homeless people is an issue that is often ignored in our community. When you see a homeless person on the streets how do you react? Do you turn your head and ignore them? Do you become angry that they are living on the streets? Do you feel frightened and avoid the situation all together? Or do you see these people as human beings and treat them in that way? Homeless people are ?subjected to alienation and discrimination by mainstream society?. (NLCHP) Most alienation and discrimination comes from the lack of education about homeless people. There are numerous untrue myths about homeless people. Many people believe that homeless people ?commit more violent crimes than housed people.? (NLCHP) The reality is that homeless people actually commit less violent crimes than people with homes do. Dr. Pamela Fischer, of John Hopkins University, studied arrest records in Baltimore and discovered that even though homeless people were more likely to commit non-violent and non-destructive crimes, they were less likely to commit violent crimes against people. (NLCHP) The crimes that these people are committing are necessary to keep them alive. These crimes include sleeping, eating, and panhandling. Making it illegal to perform necessary daily activities in public when homeless people have no where else to go makes it impossible for homeless people to avoid violating the law. (NLCHP) Another myth about homeless people is that they do not work and that they get their money from public assistance programs. A study done in Chicago discovered that ?39% of homeless people interviewed had worked for some time during the previous month?. (NLCHP) Many of the people who do not work are actively trying to find jobs, but are discriminated against by the work force. In an interview done at the River Street Homeless Shelter I found many people who have experienced this discrimination. ?People can?t get a job without an address. When they use the shelter?s address they get turned down.? (Mike) Speaking...
One cannot judge the homeless lifestyle if there is no insight. No one can understand the life of poverty and homelessness unless there has been exposure and have lived through that. Homeless children are living in poverty because of mistakes their guardians or parents have made. These children go through unimaginable events in their life. Most of the time, Homeless youth are either abused physically and mentally. They are innocent humans who have to choice but to grow up and live a life they did not choose to live. Children all around the world are living in hunger everyday of their lives. People are not willing to help. Even some law enforcement, who are leaders in the community show no compassion or empathy towards homeless individuals. The people who are depended on for the safety of the community are being ruthless towards homeless people in the community. Homeless people in this case are very vulnerable. Money should not define a person, but it comes to show that money sadly, does to have a tremendous impact on how a person is treated. Veterans coming home from war to live on the streets is unfair and inhumane. People need to step up to give humans the opportunities they
I have never experienced being homeless, but have seen many individuals on the streets beg for food or money. Some may just need a helping hand; others may have been alcoholics or drug users. Most homeless people have made some critical mistakes in their lives and need help. There are a lot of people that live pay check to pay check and are on the verge of being homeless themselves. Before you can belittle a homeless person, envision yourself in their shoes. How would you feel if you were a homeless person? I know I would dislike begging for money on a daily basis.
...on I don’t think enough is being done to help the homeless and it’s not all the churches and governments faults. We as their fellow Americans don’t do enough. We think we are superior to them, and act as if they don’t exist, or don’t have feelings. If you have some spare change in your pocket why not just give it to them? If you were in there position I’m sure you would want someone to do it for you! And many of us have clothes in our closet we no longer fit or no longer like, why not drop them off at the Salvation Army? There is someone out there who would be grateful for something clean to wear. Or how about you just give a friendly smile at a homeless person when you walk down the street, that just might brighten up there whole day. It will definitely take a lot of work to end homelessness but the first step is giving them the respect they deserve as citizens.
Contrary to the popular belief that many people are homeless due to the fact that they abused alcohol or had a drug addiction, it seems those problems are more commonly derived from homelessness rather than the cause of it. This has been proven thanks to a new study from Northumbria University in the United Kingdom. Alcohol abuse and drug addiction are just some of the antisocial behaviors that are introduced with homelessness. Some of the aforementioned antisocial behaviors include drug addiction, violent behavior, alcoholism, and many different types of mental illnesses.
Benjamin Franklin once wrote “God helps those who help themselves.” However, in some cases, those who want help can’t actually help themselves. This is the sad reality of the homeless. Whenever a homeless person begs for money from the ground they slept on, I look at them for mere seconds and try to figure out their story. For some it’s easy to tell how they became homeless by the way they look. For example, they could have a physical handicap that limited their mobility so they couldn’t work. Maybe they appear as if they’ve abused drugs for years. However, for the remaining homeless that I’ve encountered, their story isn’t so obvious. They could have a mental illness, or simply had bad spending habits. Whether on the way to work or school, you will probably see a homeless person. They often stink up the area they are in and aren’t a pleasant sight. Solving the homeless problem would be in everyone’s best interest because it would make New York City more safe and enjoyable.