Symbolism In The Grapes Of Wrath

What can be considered a classic? A classic is most likely a bestseller, such as The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. The work depicts the Joad family looking for a better life in California; who encounters numerous families that have the same dream, confronts unforeseen setbacks, and in the end, realizes that their promised future is not what they had hoped for. John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath can be considered a classic because it applies rhetorical devices skillfully, causes controversy, and includes present day topics: unemployment and the American Dream, which goes awry in many cases.
Steinbeck utilizes rhetorical devices to showcase how this novel can be regarded as a classic. Using personification, he expresses that “…the wind cried and whimpered over the fallen corn” (Steinbeck, 2). This conveys the fact that the wind is just as sad as the farmers that lost their farms, and that everything in the Midwest was hit by the Great Depression. In addition, Steinbeck uses symbolism in the statement “[Route] 66 is the mother road, the road of

flight” to represent that this road is a lifeline for numerous families (Steinbeck, 118). The fact that this iconic route only goes in two directions is memorable because it means that one can either go forward in search of opportunity or go backwards and return to poverty. All in all, Steinbeck utilizes rhetorical devices to convey the notion that his famous novel is a classic.
The Grapes of Wrath can be considered a classic due to how it causes much controversy.

For one, Steinbeck has been accused of “…exaggerating the conditions in the migrant camps”, which caused an uproar in Californians of that period (Nixon). The way the novel views the living conditions of migrant camps led to many Californians to believe that they were not portrayed fairly, which is notorious because it caused California to rethink a few of their policies toward migrants. DeMott defines the novel as “…part labor testament, part family chronicle, part partisan journalism, part environmental…” (DeMott, 13). The depiction of combining the measly pay of farmworkers and how families had to work long hours to be able to pay for a day’s meal, points out that idea that farm owners took advantage of migrant workers. All told, the novel’s ability to erupt debates over its argumentative subjects makes it out to be a

classic.
The way The Grapes of Wrath implements the ideas of unemployment and the American Dream allows the novel to be considered a classic. The depiction of farmers losing their land is similar to present day California, where millions of people are losing their jobs. The unemployment rate in California has increased “…to 5.1% from 4.8% a month earlier…”. (Khouri). In this way, The Grapes of Wrath can be considered a classic because the job market is still struggling. Unemployment is a major issue that applies to both centuries, as millions of people are forced to deal with this pain. Moreover, the American Dream is something many still want to achieve, but unfortunately do not. The Joads did not receive the results they desired, as seen by their disastrous living conditions in the boxcars (Steinbeck, 409). This portrayal of how the American Dream can go wrong is a circumstance that applies to today. The Grapes of Wrath can be examined as a classic because of its clever use of including relevant situations.
The Grapes of Wrath can be considered a classic because of its use of rhetorical devices, its controversial topics, and how it is composed of relatable circumstances. This novel is still relevant because the ideas of corporate greed and millions of people losing their jobs still applies to the present day.