John Steinbeck Migrant Workers

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This paper deals with the migrant laborers conflict in their journey. John Steinbeck’s novel was based on real-life experiences, which brought him in direct contact with migrant labor and labor organizers. Steinbeck was more interested in exploring the human dilemma than in taking a political position on a specific event. Steinbeck would continue to be relevant with a labor conflict between migrant apple pickers and the local growers association as the backdrop. The usual repressive measures have been used against these migrants shooting jailing without charge, refusal of trial by jury, torture and beating by night riders. But even in the short time that these American migrants have been out here there has been a change. MIGRANT CONFLICT IN …show more content…

John Steinbeck was a keen observer and chronicler of the changes that were taking place around him. Eventually he dealt with the agricultural matters so long that he was recognized as an expert of rural affairs. Migrants attaches the particulars about the attention of the migrant in California, their adaptability to the situation, adjustment with the rich owners and the migrants spirit of sharing ideas, thoughts and things. It was observed that the migratory movement to the west contributes to the ascertaining of new social values and to the establishment of new family roles. Before, drafting the story, Steinbeck wanted his readers to identify themselves with the migrants and to feel their enhancing enduring strength, despite their loss and suffering. Migration had become a common phenomenon in many parts of our contemporary world. Migration mean a movement, or a journey or wander for a significant distance by a large group of people who have been displaced from their original homeland, but who are bound together by some kind of common identity - national, ethnic, religious and so …show more content…

One can see that the endless pursuit of material possessions increases the disparity of the American population between affluent landlords and poor farmers. Therefore, this discrepancy creates the poverty of farmers who are obliged to borrow money from the rich. One can remark that landowners avail of this situation to behave dishonestly. Consequently, man is no more the cure of man because everyone tries jealously to gain the maximum of possession to the detriment of someone else. This frame of mind turns the American culture into an individualistic society. This individuality was often the source of all difficulties happening to the migrant workers as well as for all immigrants who plan to come to the supposed Promised Land California. The main plot of the novel took place in the apple orchards of California during the depression period. It revolves around the actions of two communist radicals of Mac and Jim. He meets Mac and was taken under his wing. Initially Jim’s only duties are typing letters and other various petty odd-jobs. This bought out a lot of changes , Mac learns of frustration over wage cuts of some apple pickers in the Torgas Valley and sees a chance to “get a good ruckus going”(IDB 37) and Jim’s first real

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