Grapes of Wrath 5

The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, is a novel about the Dust Bowl migration. It is the story of one Oklahoma farm family, the Joads, and it is also the story of thousands of similar men and women. The Joads are forced off their land, so they move West to California. When they reach California, they are faced with the harsh reality that it is no the Promised Land. Steinbeck's purpose in writing The …

…results, the fruits, of their suffering which will be social change. The wealthy farmers oppose changes because the plight of the migrants benefits them. Class conflict presents the theme. Kind acts of the poor contrast greatly with the unkind acts of the rich. The poor must struggle to overcome evil. The Grapes of Wrath exposes the abuses of the era of the Dust Bowl migration and convinces the reader of the need for social change.