The Grapes of Wrath chapter 10: family dynamics and symbolism

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notes on chapter 10 - grapes of wrath

this is the last time that the family acts as a family unit that functions wholly

the smaller family unit will be dissolved into the higher form of the oversoul, the wider community, that is representative of the societal expanse of nations and culture, esoecially, the american culture

the joads are a patriachal family eg. leadership and control is determined by masculinity and age, eg granpa gets to speak first because he is the oldest male, and uncle john sits in the front of the truck, despite feeling uncomfortable, and rose of sharon has to sit in the back just because she is pregnant, "she is young and a woman"

there is a change in familial dynamics, in which the assigned gender roles are shifted, as they are leaving the environment that dictated that largely, and one that demanded the most from each member of the family.

Jim Casy begins this process by stating to Ma Joad, "It's all work. They's too much of it to split it into men's or women's work."

the truck represents the structural stability sorrounding the family, and moments of mechanical failure represents the failure of the familial, makshift government of the Joads

Jim Casy's acceptance into the family blurres the lines of the family structure - who is family and who is not?

Granpa is most associsated with "grapes" from the book's title.

Grapes symbolise bitternes, and abundance.

grapes represesnt the prosperity of the collectiveness of society, but also of the harsh and bitterness of the sacrifices they have had to make to reach that point, and that bitterness will manifest into anger when the naritive becomes collective.

chapter 11

steinbeck emphasises the emptiness and the seperation of the humans from land, a mixture of humanism and romanticism, the love of nature, the belif of god in anture, and by destroying the earth with machinery, you destory the holy and pure essense of the earth.

Jeffersonian Agariansim - bond between the land and the people that farm it

theme is emphasised by the concept of death and decay that hangs over the abandoned land.

houses are gradually reduced to dust and m=nothing more, without the human love that keeps it alive

chapter 12

busted tire and search of a replacement symbolises a stress the family will face

constant need for water will also forchadow the obstacles that happen before the family

steinbecks prose style is heavily influenced by the KJV bible.

3 parts to the book: 1) the drought and prep to go to california, 2) the journey to california 3) the arrival in california

each of these parts is juxtaposed to the hazardous journery the Isarelites took to reach the promised land.

the correspond to the egyptian opression of the israelites, the exodus out of egypt and into the promised land of canaan.

steinbeck's decsription of the Okies as "people in flight" refers to the Okies as the slaves to the nation, as the towns along route 66 as genealogical lineages.

chapter 13

their choice to bring Casy into the the family proves to be a good choice because he gives himeself up to stop tom from bieng jailed, and he is selfless - trancendentalism- the oversoul

adoption of the wilsons and casy emphasises the shift from personal family to world family

the bond of the two families is stronger - granpa dies in their tent, he is wrapped in thier blanket, and is buried with a page from thier bible

granpa's death signifies author's dissaisfaction with organised religeon and is shown in casy's pragmatism

chapter 14

shift from in social consiousness from "I" to "we". after steinbeck archives the problems and causations of the anger and bitterness of the dispossesed.

all the paupers come together, sharing thier grief, and realise that they will survive because they are together

the clash between the common farmers and the powerful conglomerates who's intrests are only in money, first the removal of the tenant farmers

steinbeck is saying that the isolation from the land of the powerful organisations and its objectification of the land keeps them from realising the full potential of a people who's land has been expropriated by the large corporations and thus annexing each other to survive

chapter 15

interclary chapter

alternating interclary chapters

shifts are almost cyclical, from general to specific to general to specific

from story about May and Al, to general descriptions of highway travellers to roadside diners.

May and Al are constantly attached and isolated from the oustide world, represents the shifting consiousness of the couple

may is almost like tom, whos realised that individualism is impossible when the goal is to stay alive

acting towards each other through love and respect is necessary for growth and prosperity

may is unwilling to sell the loaf of bread to the man, but sells him the nickel candy two for a penny, her act of compassion is rewarded by the tuck drivers who witness this and give her a large tip.

the rich travellers are spoilt and tich

the rich fat woman who is lazy and idle whos breasts are low and useless and dead, is juxtaposed to the Rose of Sharon, who although has a stillborn child, her breasts are full of life giving milk for other members of the family.

chapter 16

deterioration of the joad family parallels thier dwindling economic fortune

granpa cannot leave the farm he farmed for so many years, dies the moment they left the farm.

Granma's health fails without granpa and Rose of Sharon says she will leave with connie and go thier own way once they reach california

ma sees her family falling apart and reacts with violence - "all we got is the family unbroken"

Ma's revolt creates a shift in familial power

men did not make a choice without her input

ma has always been the driving force behind the family.

tom is angry with the camp proprietor for capitalising on the poor - reflects steinbeck's anger that no one should work for independent benefit, but also for the benefit of others

tom's spirituality shifts - makes rapid observations to Jim Casy - "them people aint thinkin where they're goin...but theyre laying them down in the same direction, just the same...theys gonna come a thing that's gonna change the whole country"

fustrating for tom as they force him to consider his role in the issues of the wider society. hes not ready to do that

Casy is beginning to tug on Tom's heartstrings.