SteinbeckOutsideReadingProjectReadingLog

MynovelfortheORPis:
TheGrapesofWrath

Instructions:
Divideyourbookintotenequalparts(totalpagesdividedby10),andforeachpart,pickoutone
PASSAGE
ofat
leastfivelines,copyandcommentonthisselection.Ultimately,youwillhaveatotalof
TENPASSAGESWITH
COMMENTARY.
Yourcommentsshouldreflectyourunderstandingofthereading.DONOTmerelysummarizeor
explainthepassage.UseyourAPStyleAnalysisGuideandthefollowingsuggestionstorespondinavarietyofways
toeachpassage.Forexample:
Discusstheauthorsimagery,wordchoice,andwritingstyle(diction/syntax/figurativelanguage).
Explaintheauthorsuseand/ordevelopmentofaliteraryelementortechnique:character,setting,plot,theme,
suspense,foreshadowing,irony,symbolism,allusion,etc.
Relatethechosenpassagetoanotherscene,setting,orcharacterinthesamenovel.
Relatethepassagetoanothernovel,film,oranyotherworkofart.
Discusshowthispassageremindsyouofsomeoneorsomethingorsomeeventfromyourownlife.

YoushouldusethesampleORPpassagesprovidedwiththeassignmentinGoogleClassroomasaguideforyour
responses.

UsethisdocumenttorecordyourfirstFIVEpassages,withpagenumberscitedasaparentheticalreference,along
withyourfirstFIVEresponses.Labelthemclearly.ThefirstfivewillbesubmittedinGoogleClassroomon
Thursday,January28,withthesecondfivesubmittedinanewdocumentbyFriday,February19.

1.Homicide,hesaidquickly.ThatsabigwordmeansIkilledaguy.Sevenyears.Imsprunginfourforkeepin
mynoseclean.
ThedriverseyesslippedoverJoadsfacetomemorizeit.Ineveraskedyounothinaboutit,hesaid.Imindmy
ownyard.
YoucantellaboutitineveryjointfromheretoTexola.Hesmiled.Solong,fella.Youbeenagoodguy.Butlook,
whenyoubeeninastiralittlewhile,youcansmellaquestioncominfromhelltobreakfast.Youtelegraphedyours
thefirsttimeyouopenedyourtrap.(Steinbeck19)

SteinbeckreallyintroducesTomJoadinthispassage.HereitisshowingTomJoadangrysidebutalsohiswiseside.
LaterinthebookyoualsoseehowsimilarTomistohismomandsomeoccurrenceswherehismomactsinasimilar
wayasTomisinthepassage.ItalsoshowshowsmartTomJoadis.Heknewthatthedriverofthetruckwastryingto
figurewhohewaseventhoughheneveraskedanythingthatseemedprotrusive.Thereaderdoesknowthatthedriver
iscuriousaboutTombutTomisabletofigureitouthimselfwithoutknowingthedriverinnerthoughts.However
thereispossibleforeshadowinginthispassage.Tomoftengetscarriedawaytalkingaboutthingsthatmakehimangry
likehisconvictionofhomicide.InthisscenarioTimisjusttalkingbigbutlaterinthebookgettingcarriedawaywith
hisfrustrationcostshim.

2.Hey,Joe,hearthis?Thisguywantstotrademules.Didn'tnobodytellyouthisisthemachineage?Theydontuse
mulesfornothingbutgluenomore.
Finebigmulesfiveandsevenyearsold.Maybewebetterlookaround.
Lookaround!Youcomeinwhenwerebusy,antakeupourtimeanthenwalkout!Joe,didyouknowyouwas
talkintopikers?
Iaintapiker.Igottogetacar.WeregointoCaliforniaIgottogetacar.
Well,Imasucker.JoesaysImasucker.SaysifIdon'tquitgivinmyshirtawayIllstarvetodeath.Tellyouwhat
IlldoIcangetfivebucksapieceforthemmulesfordogfeed.(Steinbeck87)

ThisisanexampleofSteinbeck'smostfascinatingwritingstyle.Thisentirechapteristoldfromthepointofviewofa
cynicalcarsalesman.Thepointofviewisacarssalesmantalkingwhichisafascinatingandrefreshingnewview.
Thispassagefocusesonanormaloccurrenceforhim.AfamilyoutofmoneyneedingtomovetoCaliforniaisa
normaloccurrence.ThereaderisgivenclueslaterinthenovelthatthemanwhothecarsalesmanistalkingtoisAl
Joad.Themysteryofwhothecharactersareprovidesthereaderhisownimagerywithnodescriptionofanycharacter
atallinthisparticularchapter.Italsoleavesmostimagerytothereadertothinkof.

3.Andthemenintheseatweretiredandangryandsad,fortheyhadgoteighteendollarsforeverydollarsforevery
movablethingfromthefarm:thehorses,thewagon,theimplements,andallthefurniturefromthehouse.Eighteen
dollars.Theyhadassailedthebuyer,arguedbuttheywereroutedwhenhisinterestseemedtoflagandhehadtold
themhedidn'twantthestuffatanyprice.Thentheywerebeaten,believedhim,andtooktwodollarslessthanhehad
firstoffered.Andnowtheywerewearyandfrightenedbecausetheyhadgoneagainstasystemthattheydidnot
understandandithadbeatenthem.Theyknewtheteamandthewagonwereworthmuchmore.Theyknewthebuyer
wouldgetmuchmore,buttheydidntknowhowtodoit.Merchandisingwasasecrettothem.(Steinbeck,132)

ThispassageisaftertheJoadfamilygetsbackfromsellingtheirbelongingsatamarket.Thepassagedetailshowthey
werecheatedintryingtosellawaytheirstuffbyamanwhoknewthegamebetterthantheydidandsowasableto
beatthematthegame.Thethemeofwhereapersoncantakeadvantageofthepoormigrantsstartshere.Hereisa
manwhoasitsayslaterinthechaptercamejusttobuypeople'sbelongingsbecauseheknowsthatthereisamass
exodusofpeoplegoingwest.Themanknowsthatthepeoplehavetogetridoftherebelongingssohekeepson
loweringthepricebecauseheknowstheyjustwanttopartwiththeirstuffandgetalittlemoneyandwiththathecan
makeabigprofitwhenheresellsit.Thispassageisforeshadowingofwhatwillhappenlaterinthestorywhenthe
Joadfamilyismistreatedandtakenadvantagebecausetheyjustwantsomethingandeverybodyknowsthey're
desperateforit.ThisoccurstomostofthemigrantswhentheyarriveinCaliforniabuttheJoad'sgettoexperiencethis
feelingintheirhomestate.Thisoccurrencebecomemostcommonwhenthefarmownerscanmakethepriceforwork
drasticallylowbecausetheyknowthattheirareenoughpeoplejustdesperateforsomething.

4.Goinwest,youknow.Thisguycomesbyusdoinninetyraredupontwowheelsjusttopassus,anchivkensan
kids.Killedonekid.Neverseensuchamess.Wepulledup.Olmanthatsdrivinthetruck,hejusstansthere
lookinatthatdeadkid.Cantgetawordoutofim.Jusrumdumb.Godalmighty,theroadisfullofthemfamilies
ginwest.Neverseensomany.Getsworseallatime.Wonderwherethehelltheyallcomefrom?
Wonderwheretheyallgotto...(Steinbeck,215)

Thispassagetalksabouthowamazedsomeobserversareaboutthemigrationofallthepeopletowardsthewest.The
settingisaburgerjointalongsideRoute66andthetruckdrivertalksaboutahorriblecrashthathesaw.Steinbeck
providesaninterestingchapterasthepointofviewfromtheburgerjoint.HelooksathowthedailylifeofMaethe
waitressandAlthecookareaffectedbytheexodusofpeople.Thechapteralsolooksatitfromtheviewofthetruck
driverasthispassageshows.Itshowsthat
lifecanbeanendlesscirclebutalsohavenewoccurrencesasthispassageshows.Thiscalmtoneofneweventsbut
largelysamecyclelifeisacertainwaythatSteinbecklooksatlifethroughoutthebook.Ioftenfeelthewaythebook
portrayslifewitharelativelyroutinecyclebutexciting,different,andsometimesscarytwistsalongtheway.Maybe
Steinbeckfeelsthathislifealsohasthiscycle.

5."Goodlan',yousay?An'theyain'tworkin'her?"
"Yes, sir.Good lan'an' theyain't!Well,sir, that'llgetyoualittlemad,butyouain'tseennothin'.Peoplegonnahavea
lookin their eye. They gonna look atyouan' their facesays, 'Idon'tlikeyou, you sonofabitch.'Gonnabedeputy
sheriffs,an'they'll
push you aroun'. Youcamp ontheroadside, an'they'llmove you on.Yougonnasee inpeople's face howtheyhate
you.An'I'll tell you somepin.Theyhateyou'cause they're scairt.Theyknowahungryfellagonnagetfoodevenif

hegottotake it. They knowthatfallow lan's asinan'somebody' gonnatakeit. Whatthehell!Youneverbeencalled

'Okie'yet."
Tomsaid,"Okie?What'sthat?"
"Well, Okie use' ta mean you was from Oklahoma. Now itmeans you're adirty sonofabitch.Okie meansyou're
scum.Don't mean nothingitself,it's the waytheysayit.ButIcan't tellyounothin'.Yougottogothere.Ihearthere's
three hunderd thousan' of our people therean'livin' like hogs,'causeever'thingin Californiais owned. They ain't
nothin'left. An'them people that owns it isgonnahang onto itif theygot takillever'bodyin theworl'todoit.An'
they're scairt,an' that makes 'emmad.You gotto seeit.You gotto hear it.Purtiestgoddamncountryyoueverseen,
buttheyain'tnicetoyou,themfolks.They'resoscairtan'worriedtheyain'tevennicetoeachother."
Tomlookeddown intothewater,andhedughisheelsintothesand."S'poseafellagotwork an'saved,couldn' heget
alittlelan'?"
Theoldermanlaughedandhelookedathisboy,andhissilentboygrinnedalmostintriumph.Andthemansaid,
"Youain'tgonnagetnosteadywork.Gonnascrabbleforyourdinnerever'day.An'yougonnadoherwithpeople
lookin'meanatyou.Pickcotton,an'yougonnabesurethescalesain'thonest.Someof'emis,an'someof'emain't.
Butyougonnathinkallthescalesiscrooked,an'youdon'tknowwhichones.Ain'tnothin'youcandoabouther
anyways."(Steinbeck,280281)

ThispassagefocusesontheJoadmentalkingtoafatherandaboywhoaregoingbacktoOklahomaastheybatheina
riverinNeedles,California.TheJoadslearntherealityformostmigrantsCaliforniaisnotsuchabrightwonderful
place.ThispassageshowsmuchofthedialectofOklahomanssincetheJoadsandtheotherfamilyisspeakincaptain
style.ThedifferentinterpretationsofthewordOkiesbythedepartingfatherandtheCaliforniansisalsoaslang
wordthathasaverydifferentmeaningintwodifferentcultures.ThefatherinformstheJoadsthattheywillbetreated
likeanimalsandthefactthatthepeopleofCaliforniaarescaredofthemigrants.Thisfactofcitizensbeingscaredis
somethingthatwecanrelateinacurrentevent.SomecountrieslikeGermanyandFrancechoosetoembracemigrants
thatarerefugeesfromSyriajustliketheJoadfamilyisarefugeefromthedustbowlinOklahoma.Otherslike
currentlyHungaryandtheUnitedStatesamongothercountriesdecidetomistreatandrefusetoacceptrefugees.While
Californiabackinthe1930scouldn'trejectthemigrantstheycouldtreatthemlikeanimalsandlookforanyway
possibletogetthemintroubleandmakesurethattheysufferandaren'tsuccessful.Thiscurrentsituationappliesnow.
PeopleinSyriacancurrentlynotliveintheircountryandmustfindanotherwaytolive.Eithercountriescantreat
themlikeanimalsandforcethemtogetbacktoSyriawheretheywillprobablydieorimmenselysufferorwecould
welcomeSyriansandothermigrantsfromplaceslikeMexicoandCentralAmericawithopenarmstreatingthemlike
humanbeings.Itstruethatwecantjustopenthefloodgatestomigrantsbutthatisbesidethepoint.Thepointisthat
anybodyhasinterestinmakingasuccessfullifeshouldbegiventhatopportunityandtreatedasequal.Treatingpeople
thatarenewtoyourarealikeinvadersandtakingadvantagethemisjustwrongandunconstitutional.Whathappened
inCaliforniawasacorruptsystemmakingthousandsofpeoplesufferatthebenefitatasmallamountofrichpeople.
ThisinvolvedthederogatorynicknameslikeOkies.OnethepointsbySteinbeckinthisnovelwastoshowusthat
powerandgreedrulestheworld.Thismeansthatweneedpeopletostepuptobillionaireswhothinklettingpeople
dieandsufferisacceptable.Itmightbenefitthebillionairesbutitnegativelyaffectsthepeopleinthelongrunandthe
humanrace.ThispassageshowswhatwaswrongwithCaliforniainthe1930sandshowsonethingthatisvery
wrongwithourworldtoday.