American literature would not be complete without John Steinbeck's masterpiece entitled "The Grapes of Wrath". This outstanding novel is supposedly the most significant dispelling of the myth of California as a Promised Land. This book is considered to be the most thorough examination of American society in the thirties. Not only does it present realities in terms of economy and history but also it deals with the mentality of Americans.
The novel's title refers to "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" by Julia Ward Howe . As Steinbeck said: "I like it because it is a march and this book is a kind of march- because it is in our own revolutionary tradition and because in reference to this book it has a large meaning".
In general the story concerns the drastic plight of the migrant labour situation in California. At that time a lot of crucial changes came to the Usa.
English: John Steinbeck
Trailer for the 1940 black and white film The Grap...
Ma Joad and Tom Joad discuss Tom's future.Millions of people headed for California in the hopes of building a new better life. Unfortunately the realities turned out to be cruel to them as there were thousands of families starving to death. This bore a huge wave of anger mixed with protests against the injustice . The state of anxiety and fear started to dominate. Regrettably flagrant violations, though unacceptable, took place very often. This resulted in many cases in a loss of dignity and poverty .
In order to understand the never-ending exodus some historical facts must be known. The early 1930s had to face up to the steady deterioration of working class living conditions. The agricultural economy had remained depressed since the drop in world prices in the early 1920s. The hopeless post-war situation had reduced the number of workers employed and led to the lowering of wages. A hostile machine called...