Corruption Of The California Dream In The Grapes Of Wrath

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Corruption of the California Dream
For centuries, California has captivated many people with its promise of a new life. The California dream was the obtainable American dream. It represented the chance to start over and begin again without the fear that one’s past would come back to harm them. It was as if coming to California and crossing its threshold meant life, liberty and pursuit of happiness for everyone. But in reality, the dream California offered wasn’t one meant for everyone. On the outside, the California dream offered bountiful opportunities and rapid success. Masked with a false representation, California carries deceit, despair and disappointment, failing in its promise of a new life.
In The Grapes of Wrath, the Joads venture …show more content…

In the film, evil repeatedly triumphs over good. The water battle is lost and the people of L.A. must suffer its consequences. Evelyn fails to escape her father and eventually dies, losing her daughter or sister to Noah Cross. Noah Cross, representing the corruption of the California dream, kills Hollis Mulwray when he interferes with Cross’ plans for the new reservoir. Moreover, in “The Grapes of Wrath,” the Joads are repeatedly warned of the false idea that California is. They ignore all these signs in hopes that arriving in California all their worries will be forgotten. Unfortunately, this is not the case and when the Joads first viewed California. The Joads drove, “across the bridge and into the broken rock wilderness. And although they were dead weary and the morning heat was growing, they stopped” (202). Their first view of California is disappointing. There are broken rocks and the sunlight is harsh. Their idea of California was broken and Uncle John is seen saying, “This here’s California, an’ se don’t look so prosperous” (203). Uncle John is right. California was filled with an abundance of lies that deceived people from all over into traveling to the “promise land” for a new

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