Grapes Of Wrath Chapter 1-11 Analysis

Chapters 1-11: The Land (Time in Oklahoma)
The opening scene’s setting gives a premise to the overall gloomy and dusty lifestyles of the Okies. The whole time period is already gloomy from the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, but the description of the bland Oklahoma landscape is sad. Steinbeck even wrote about dust like it was an ominous homewrecker. Dust and the wind and the elements in general are given all of the power in this chapter and in future chapters. Such dominant influence of nature suggests the family structure of the Joads and other Okies to be unstable. The environment governs the family, making them move, causing them to seek jobs due to poor land and subsequent lack of work.
The land turtle in chapter three symbolizes the slow, rather unproductive natures of

Unlike some of the chapters focusing on the story and characters, these chapters are vague enough to truly illustrate the whole setting. Some of these chapters focus on the landscape or the general themes haunting this era and novel. In chapter seven, the description about the car salesmen implies the idea of bargaining and making a deal about a sought after thing. The salesmen talked about all the deals of the cars and their being good and bargains, which indicates to the simplicity taken in purchasing a car. This shows the simplicity of this time period, as people really just wanted a mode of transport not a flashy automobile.
The faces of the Joad family revealed the years they have endured and what they have persevered through. Ma and Pa are weathered, as are the grandparents, from the sun and dust and wind over time. Not just on the outside, Ma showed her strength and worth as the leader of the family. Pa took a lesser role than Ma and typically was lost and dazed without her guidance. Additionally, the grandparents instilled in the younger family members the importance of hierarchy and