The Grapes of Wrath - Questions and Answers

Title: Grapes of Wrath: Questions and Answers What are the chief reasons for the mass migration to California? I believe that the primary reasons for the mass migration to California were poverty and the desire for a better life. The people in Oklahoma were struggling to make ends meet and barely had enough to survive. They worked long hours on farms and received little compensation for their hard work. This made them frustrated and unhappy. Additionally, the Joad family, who were proud and wanted to prove themselves, were not content with their life in Oklahoma and wanted to start anew in California. Who are the members of the Joad family unit that set out for California? Briefly state what happens to each of them. The Joad family members who set out for California were Ma, Pa, Ruth, Winfield, Uncle John, and Rose of Sharon. Noah left early in the book, and Tom left to become another Jim Casey. Grandpa died of natural causes, and they buried him in a field. Grandma died on the way through a checkpoint. Rose had to pretend that she was sick to a cop to avoid any trouble. Al left with his fiancée named Aggie to start a new life with her. Jim Casey got his head smashed in for trying to help his own people. Connie left, probably because he was sick of Rose. Uncle John almost died while making the dam, but he was helped by Grandpa. In what ways were the migrant workers exploited? How does Jim Casey fight against the exploitation of the migrant workers? How successful is he? The migrant workers were exploited in many ways. The advertisements would say that 800 people were needed to pick peaches, but in reality, there were only 100 jobs available. This created a lot of competition for the jobs, and people were willing to work for low wages just to survive. Jim Casey fought against the exploitation of the migrant workers by building a small union. This worked for a while, and the workers received better wages. However, the companies caught up to him and smashed his head into the ground. What is the symbolic significance of the dust, the turtle, and the grape? How does Jim Casey function as a symbol? The dust symbolizes the lack of visibility and the inability to predict the future. The turtle getting run over by the truck driver represents the big companies walking over the people. The grape symbolizes the lifeblood of the people being stomped out of them and enjoyed by the rich. Jim Casey functions as a symbol of a good man who taught Tom a lot about life and groups. He was a preacher who had doubts about God and the afterlife. Compare life in Hooverville with life in the government camps. Life in the government camps was better than life in Hooverville. People knew who to trust and who not to trust in the government camps. They had others like them to protect them from the law and could feel protected and like normal human beings. In contrast, Hooverville was not a good place to be. The people there had too much against them. Choose one main character from this story and explain fully what you believe this person's viewpoints would be towards war, religion, and discrimination. Jim Casey was a good man who spent most of his life preaching to people. He would strongly oppose war and believe in peace. Although he had doubts about God and the afterlife, he still believed in Jesus deep inside.