The Grapes of Wrath
“I'll be all around in the dark. I'll be everywhere. Wherever you can look, wherever there's a fight, so hungry people can eat, I'll be there.”
Summary
The epic of the Great Depression. The Joad family is driven from their Oklahoma farm by the Dust Bowl and the banks. They pile everything they own into a rickety truck and head west to California, the promised land, searching for work and dignity. What they find is hatred, exploitation, and starvation. But they also find a new kind of family in the migrant camps—a brotherhood of the dispossessed. Steinbeck alternates the Joads' intimate story with sweeping chapters that describe the movement of thousands, making this a furious, biblical indictment of greed and a tender hymn to human endurance.
Why Read This?
It makes you angry in the best possible way. Steinbeck forces you to look at the poor not as statistics, but as human beings with immense dignity. It is a book that demands justice. But it is also a spiritual journey. The character of Jim Casy (JC) moves from a traditional religion to a belief in the 'Oversoul'—that all men are part of one big soul. The ending is one of the most shocking and beautiful scenes in literature, a moment of radical generosity in the face of total loss. It will break your heart and then enlarge it.
About the Author
John Steinbeck (1902–1968) was the champion of the underdog. Born in the Salinas Valley of California, he worked alongside migrant laborers and saw their suffering firsthand. He wrote to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. The Grapes of Wrath was burned publicly by citizens who called it communist propaganda, but it won the Pulitzer Prize and helped Steinbeck win the Nobel. He remains the conscience of American letters.
Reading Guide
Ranked #25 among the greatest books of all time, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck has earned its place in the literary canon. Originally written in English and published in 1939, this moderate read from United States continues to resonate with readers today.
This book belongs to our American Spirit collection, where you can discover more books that share its spirit and themes.
If you enjoy moderate reads like this one, you might also like One Hundred Years of Solitude, Nineteen Eighty Four, or Wuthering Heights.
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