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The Grapes Of Wrath: Symbols And The Theme Of Man Vs. A Hostile Environment - Online Term Paper

The Grapes Of Wrath: Symbols And The Theme Of Man Vs. A Hostile Environment

The Grapes of Wrath is a novel by John Steinbeck that exposes the
desperate conditions under which the migratory farm families of America during
the 1930's live under. The novel tells of one families migration west to
California through the great economic depression of the 1930's. The Joad
family had to abandon their home and their livelihoods. They had to uproot and
set adrift because tractors were rapidly industrializing their farms. The bank
took possession of their land because the owners could not pay off their loan.
The novel shows how the Joad family deals with moving to California. How they
survive the cruelty of the land owners that take advantage of them, their
poverty and ...

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the novel is through the use of symbolism. There are
several uses of symbols in the novel from the turtle at the beginning to the
rain at the end. As each symbol is presented through the novel they show
examples of the good and the bad things that exist within the novel.
The opening chapter paints a vivid picture of the situation facing the
drought-stricken farmers of Oklahoma. Dust is described a covering everything,
smothering the life out of anything that wants to grow. The dust is symbolic
of the erosion of the lives of the people. The dust is synonymous with
"deadness". The land is ruined ^way of life (farming) gone, people ^uprooted and
forced to leave. Secondly, the dust stands for ^profiteering banks in the
background that squeeze the life out the land by forcing the people off the
land. The soil, the people (farmers) have been drained of life and are
exploited:
The last rain fell on the red and gray country of Oklahoma in early May.
The weeds became a dark green to ...

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The Grapes Of Wrath: Symbols And The Theme Of Man Vs. A Hostile Environment. (2005, January 3). Retrieved February 7, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Grapes-Wrath-Symbols-Theme-Man-Vs/20028

"The Grapes Of Wrath: Symbols And The Theme Of Man Vs. A Hostile Environment." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 3 Jan. 2005. Web. 7 Feb. 2026. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Grapes-Wrath-Symbols-Theme-Man-Vs/20028>

"The Grapes Of Wrath: Symbols And The Theme Of Man Vs. A Hostile Environment." Essayworld.com. January 3, 2005. Accessed February 7, 2026. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Grapes-Wrath-Symbols-Theme-Man-Vs/20028.

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 1/3/2005 11:43:50 PM
Category: Book Reports
Type: Free Paper
Words: 1212
Pages: 5

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