The Pain of the Okies Exposed in The Grapes of Wrath Essay -- Grapes W

The Pain of the Okies Exposed in The Grapes of Wrath The Dust bowl was an bionomical and human disaster in the Southwestern Great Plains regions of the United States in the 1930s. The areas affected were Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. The poor handling of the land and years of drouth caused this great disaster (Jones storey). During this time the Okies--a name given to the migrants that travelled from Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, or anywhere in the Southwest or the northern plains to California--encountered umteen hardships. These hardships are brilliantly shown in John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath. Scholars agree, The most important concomitant about the dust storms was not scientific but human their sad effect upon the great unwashed seeking livelihood on the stricken midwestern farms (French 4). Steinbeck believed society was inhumane to the Okies and through his falsehood we can account for how the Okies were treated. By looking at Steinbecks own personal back ground and information from historic commentaries we are better able to grasp his reasoning for writing the apologue because he understood what it was like to grow up as a farmer, and an outsider. More importantly, however, we are able to share in his compassion for the Okies. To full understand Steinbecks reasoning for writing the novel it is important to look at his family and where he grew up. John Ernst Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas California. His parents were middle-class mess who played legion(predicate) roles in the community and cultural life. His father worked as a manager of a flourmill, and his mother taught in a one-room verdant school (Swisher 13). As a child John Steinbeck was shy, and kids often bug him ... ...tions. Reading this book can help us comprehend how death their present is to our past. Work Cited French, Warren, ed. A Companion to The Grapes of Wrath. New Jersy Augustus M. Kelley, 1972. Hinton, Rebecca. Steinbecks T he Grapes of Wrath. Explicator 56 (1990). 11 Sept. 2000<http//ehostvgw1.ep...20%22%Grapes%20of%220Wrath%22%20&fuzzyTerm=> Jones, Andrew. Charity of the Poor. Analysis of The Grapes of Wrath. N.D. Accessed 7 Sept. 2000 <http//www.ultranet.com/gregjonz/grapes/irony.htm> Jones, Andrew. biography of the Dust Bowl. Background History for The Grapes of Wrath. N.D. Accessed 7 Sept. 2000<http///www.ultranet.com/gregjonz/Dust/dustbowl.html> Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York Viking, 1967. Swisher, Clarice,ed. Readings on John Steinbeck. San Diego Greenhaven, 1996. The Pain of the Okies Exposed in The Grapes of Wrath Essay -- Grapes WThe Pain of the Okies Exposed in The Grapes of Wrath The Dust bowl was an ecological and human disaster in the Southwestern Great Plains regions of the United States in the 1930s. The areas affected were Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. The poor handling of the land and years of drought caused this grea t disaster (Jones History). During this time the Okies--a name given to the migrants that traveled from Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, or anywhere in the Southwest or the northern plains to California--encountered many hardships. These hardships are brilliantly shown in John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath. Scholars agree, The most important incident about the dust storms was not scientific but human their tragical effect upon people seeking livelihood on the stricken western farms (French 4). Steinbeck believed society was inhumane to the Okies and through his novel we can account for how the Okies were treated. By looking at Steinbecks own personal background and information from historical commentaries we are better able to grasp his reasoning for writing the novel because he understood what it was like to grow up as a farmer, and an outsider. More importantly, however, we are able to share in his compassion for the Okies. To fully understand Steinbecks reasoning for writing the novel it is important to look at his family and where he grew up. John Ernst Steinbeck was born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas California. His parents were middle-class people who played many roles in the community and cultural life. His father worked as a manager of a flourmill, and his mother taught in a one-room boorish school (Swisher 13). As a child John Steinbeck was shy, and kids often bug him ... ...tions. Reading this book can help us comprehend how cheeseparing their present is to our past. Work Cited French, Warren, ed. A Companion to The Grapes of Wrath. New Jersy Augustus M. Kelley, 1972. Hinton, Rebecca. Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath. Explicator 56 (1990). 11 Sept. 2000<http//ehostvgw1.ep...20%22%Grapes%20of%220Wrath%22%20&fuzzyTerm=> Jones, Andrew. Charity of the Poor. Analysis of The Grapes of Wrath. N.D. Accessed 7 Sept. 2000 <http//www.ultranet.com/gregjonz/grapes/irony.htm> Jones, Andrew. History of the Dust Bowl. Background History for T he Grapes of Wrath. N.D. Accessed 7 Sept. 2000<http///www.ultranet.com/gregjonz/Dust/dustbowl.html> Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York Viking, 1967. Swisher, Clarice,ed. Readings on John Steinbeck. San Diego Greenhaven, 1996.