Let's talk about the structure of the novel.
How do you feel about Steinbeck's alternating chapter format?
What function does this serve?
What are your first impressions of the novel?
Any connections to other novels, poems, short stories, songs, or films?
Minimum:25o words...due by 11:59 pm Sunday, March 20.
My impression of alternating chapter format is the different characters that each chapter examines. I believe that the setting in the first chapter in portrayed as a very influential force. Readers are always reminded that it is there, which makes me feel as though it is like an overseeing god. The setting can change what it wants to when it wants to. It has the power. Then, in the following chapters with the addition of new characters, they each have the chance to tell their story of how their life becomes what it is. The function of this technique could prove valuable in understanding all of the people affected by the situation at hand or the main character's influence on them. Joad’s encounter with each of the minor characters, he exposes something about all of them. For example, the truck driver gets caught judging Joad from his looks. The turtle becomes a gift for his brother. The "Preacher" explains why he no longer holds that position. Muley proceeds to spill out the entire process of how Joad's home town is all of the sudden a ghost town. So far in the novel, Steinbeck is giving readers different points of view to look through and maybe connect with. If a reader can connect with a character, I believe that the novel is much more meaningful. The best part that this novel offers to me is the cluster of conflicts that show up so far, like man vs. self, man vs. nature, and man vs. man. “Women and children knew deep in themselves that no misfortune was too great to bear if their men were whole,” (pg. 4). This quote is ironic, because it relays that all of the conflicts bundled into the novel are creating holes in the men and families that make something give. I can’t see any connection to other works at this point, but I believe that there is heavy allusion to religious philosophy throughout, especially of course with the Preacher.
ReplyDeleteI really like Steinbeck’s use of alternating chapters in this novel. I think that it serves a good purpose in the way that it keeps the reader sort of occupied with the novel. The reader now has to almost pay more attention to what’s happening in the novel to keep up with the alternating chapters. I personally like it because I find that I don’t get as bored as I would in a novel where I’m reading the same story the entire time. I think Steinbeck’s use of alternating chapters was definitely put there for a reason, whether it be to keep the reader paying attention or to keep the reader from getting bored. So far, I really like this novel. I remember reading parts of it in APUSH last year, and I remember hating it. However, I think that because we’re reading the whole novel rather than parts of it, I like it a lot better. Also, because we’re not looking at it from so much of a historical standpoint, and more of a literary standpoint, that makes it more interesting to me. I like books that are based on real historical events like the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Because I know so much about these topics, the book becomes more interesting to me. I think the story about Tom Joad himself is pretty cool, but I also like that we get to see what’s happening with the rest of the country during the depression. I really like Steinbeck’s use of alternating chapters in the book, and so far, the book is really fascinating to me.
ReplyDeleteI really hate this blogging thing right now because I typed my whole blog and then all my work got deleted. I like the alternating chapters of the novel because it keeps the reader interested because of the two different stories. I also like how the stories always end up tying in together at the end of the novel. Whenever I read stories like this I pick out my favorite characters and want to read ahead to find out what happens to them. I like this novel so far because it combines my two favorite subjects: social studies with the Dust Bowl and The Great Depression along with the obvious, english. I think the storyline is interesting in general and I like the Tom Joad. He has a way about him that kind of draws people to him it appears. But he's also honest and straightforward. "I ain't keepin' quiet about it. Sure I been in McAlester. Been there for four years. Sure these is the clothes they give me when I come out. I don't give a damn who know about it." (page 12). Pertaining to the alternating chapters, this book reminds me of the tv show, Seinfeld. They have four different characters with four different storylines written by four different writers who then figure out how to tie in their stories, no matter how different they are. It only makes sense that I would enjoy a book similar to that.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Steinbeck uses the alternating chapters to put everything into perspective. It’s easier to understand what’s going on in the following chapter with the character because of the previous one explaining the ways of that age. I also think that he uses it to develop the characters more. You understand a character better if you see the situation from an objective view and then see how each character reacts to the event. I really appreciate this structure because I am not familiar with the lifestyle and culture of this time period. I can get a better grasp on what is actually occurring. It’s almost like doing a research project before trying to understand a person’s actions on the topic that you researched. I don’t think that I would understand what was going on at all if it wasn’t for the alternating chapters. This novel is a little on the dull side. I can tell that it is a great literary work, but I find myself drifting when I’m reading it. I know that by the end it will all make sense and have a deep meaning, but right now I just wish that I was at that point already. Also, I’m tiring myself out looking for symbols or hidden meanings that I’m pretty sure are all in my head. This novel has many illusions to the Bible, “Maybe Tom’ll kill the fatted calf like for the prodigal son”, and to songs, “Yes, Sir, That’s My Baby”, or stories of that day. I’m really grateful for the glossary in the back of the book because otherwise I wouldn’t understand most of them.
ReplyDeleteI like Steinbeck’s use of alternating chapters a lot. I enjoy a historical novel so having every other chapter act as an overview of the dust bowl is a great way to incorporate history with a story. Second to the Holocaust, the Great Depression is one of the most fascinating parts of history. This is the first fictional novel I have read on the subject that uses historical facts in the story this way. It definitely keeps me interested and so far I am enjoying this novel a lot. I like that both stories are relevant to each other and will tie in together at the end. One thing I’m constantly thinking about is, why is this important? Like I said, both stories are important to each other, so when I don’t understand why something is put in the book, for example, chapter three, I try to connect it to the story about the Joads. I like that as the story adds new characters, they tell their story of how their life has been affected by the Depression. Each story about the characters relate to each other somehow. This technique is valuable to the meaning of the novel, especially in the sense that readers can relate to the characters. If a reader can relate with a character in a novel, they tend to enjoy the book more. This holds true with my opinion of the book, as I am appreciating this book more than others we have read that I couldn’t connect with. I haven’t found any connections to other works yet, but I’m sure there will be many throughout the remaining chapters.
ReplyDeleteI think the alternating chapters truly add something special to Steinbeck’s writing. The Grapes of Wrath was heavily impacted by the Great Depression, and I think to fully understand the Joads’ story, the reader needs to understand what was happening during that time period. The Joads eventually leave everything behind to travel West to California, in hope of a better life. Steinbeck’s alternate chapters paint a bleak portrait of how life truly was and why the Joads would be willing to make such a desperate move. So far, I am enjoying the novel. I love the imagery Steinbeck uses to describe life at the time. One of my favorite examples is on page 2, when he writes, “The dawn came, but no day. In the gray sky a red sun appeared, a dim red circle that gave a little light, like dusk; and as that day advanced, the dusk slipped back toward darkness, and the wind cried and whimpered over the fallen corn.” Last year I read East of Eden, and I find that there are many similarities between these two novels by Steinbeck. Both are inspired by Steinbeck’s life experiences and have many religious undertones. In addition, I found both novels to be a bit sexist. For example, in The Grapes of Wrath the women are constantly always shown as dependant on the men. It seems with every trouble, the women are looking to their men, as “no misfortune was too great to bear if their men were whole,” (Pg 4). Although this was a common view of the time, I still feel as though some of Steinbeck’s personal bias is coming through.
ReplyDeleteI am not a big fan of this structure. In fact, I find it very difficult to read in the sense that the book doesn't flow like I hoped it would. The alternating chapter format makes me want to skip every other chapter. I feel like the ones not dealing with people and are only about the economy and the crops are incredibly boring. These chapters seem to drag on and on...much like this blog. Even though I think the chapter format is incredibly irritating and prolonging, it definitely serves a purpose for the novel. I think that the economy and the severity of the times and land is the basis of the novel and instead of trying to get the full effect of the background information on the Dust Bowl, Steinbeck dedicates every other chapter to this way of life. I believe he does this simply so that the reader fully understands just how hard of times it was. My first impression of the novel was, "Wow, this is about a turtle? Awesome." for obvious reasons. At first I wasn't a fan about the novel, but I think it was simply because I don't like the chapters about how dusty everything was. I get it Steinbeck, it was dusty. I did like the chapter about how he jumped in with the truck driver. I think I liked that chapter because it showed what kind of guy Joad is. This book actually reminds me of Things Fall Apart. In book novels, the culture and the things around the characters are crucial to the characters, their emotions and their actions.
ReplyDeleteSo far I am not entirely sure how I feel about the way Steinbeck has structured the novel. I think the purpose is to assist the reader to understand some of the slang of the time, as well as to give a more historical background to help the reader understand what the characters in the novel could possibly be going through. This is all well and good, however every time I read a chapter in a certain format, I get into the zone and I understand what is going on and when I have to start a new chapter in a different format I feel like I am being interrupted and I have to get used to it all over again. Other than that though I appreciate what I believe is Steinbeck’s attempt to make the novel more historically informative as well as fictionally fun. As for my first impression of the novel, in all honesty Tom Joad sort of freaks me out. It’s like he can read your mind. For example, in the second chapter, when he gets out of the car, he tells the driver that he knew that all of his seemingly average day to day questions were in fact just his way of building up to discover what kind of man Tom Joad was and where he was from. I think anyone can relate to doing this because sometimes I think when people want to have a certain conversation with someone, but don’t know how to ask them the question they want to know flat out, they will try to bait the hook by asking a seemingly ordinary question that could be used as a gateway into the conversation they want to be having.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think I like his alternating chapters. It is a little confusing and I really enjoy reading through the story and not being interrupted by the “zoom out” . I think it is a cool idea that he let’s the readers in on outside information about the whole time period but maybe he could’ve put it in the beginning or the end. I feel like this writing style is a little too choppy. I think he alternated chapters just to make sure people really understand what was happening in this time period. I really am enjoying the novel so far. It is not hard to read and I actually am enjoying where the story is going. I like Joad and I think he is going to be a good character. I enjoy their talks and I really kind of like how they are not believing all of the religious mumbo jumbo. I think it is really cool that they are thinking outside the box and they are not going to believe everything they hear. I think Joad is a very outgoing character who doesn’t seem to care what everyone else is thinking of him. I think Tom is a very smart man. He seems to know how to live life when it’s rough. The imagery in this book is crazy! I just read the first two chapters and it was already full of imagery. From page 5-6 where Steinbeck writes “ outside a man. . . shiny with callus ,” this paragraph where he is describing the man was amazing imagery he goes into so much detail.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely hate this alternative chapter thing. It doesn't make sense to me at all. To me a story should flow and the novel should tell a story that is continuous. Yet, Steinbeck makes the chapters so that it creates a bases of the time period and the customs associated with it. I appriciate the knowledge, but I'd honestly like the story a lot more if it flowed without random interuptions. That's another thing that I don't like about the alternative chapters. It's that they are random. There is no special heading preparing the reader for it and there is no special cut off in a chapter that prepares the reader for a shift in information. I dont like that I am reading and then confused. Other then that I like the story. It puts what happened in our history on a more personal level, but not in a way that is factual or boring. I feel connected to the characters, which is what I like in a story. If I can connect to the characters on any level then the story has much more meaning in my eyes. Also, I like that there is a large amount of imagery. I can "see" most everything that is happening just as if I were part of the story. It really has sucked me into this story and so far I can't wait to read more of it.
ReplyDeleteIt took me a little while to catch on to Steinbeck’s alternating chapter structure but now it is kind of something I look forward too. I know that after reading about Tom Joad and what’s going on with his life, there will be a jump to a chapter that drifts away from the storyline. I like this format though, because it helps me to become more familiar with the time period and what was going on in people’s lives. Sometimes the alternating chapters seem somewhat irrelevant but force me to look for a deeper meaning such as the short chapter about the turtle. It also serves to keep the reader informed and occupied in the reading. It gives a little break from time to time to hold the reader’s attention. My first impression of The Grapes of Wrath is that it would be an enjoyable read for me. I like the direction it’s headed in and I think it will be more interesting than other stories we’ve read in class. I also like the history tied in and that it’s during the Dust Bowl. It takes me back to U.S. History when we learned about this time period. It’s neat to actually see the direct effects it has on the people. At the same time, the chapters get lengthy and wordy. I find myself becoming unfocused at times. So far, I like Tom Joad. Although he did kill a man, he seems like a pretty decent guy and I’m eager to find out what will happen with him.
ReplyDeleteSo far I enjoy the alternating chapter style of The Grapes of Wrath. Not only does it break up the main story well, but its also a great tool to allow Steinbeck to give details about something that otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to. An example of this would be chapter 7, which shows the dishonest practices used by car dealers with desperate migrants trying to get to California. By showing a generalized experience without focusing on an individual, this insight makes the novel more relevant on a large scale, a powerful way of reminding the reader just how widespread the situation shown in the novel is. Overall the novel has made a good first impression on me. The characters are likable and easy to relate to. Their situation is one that a reader can't help but feel for, and there is a gritty realism to the text that adds to the overall tone of the novel. There are many connections in the novel to other media. One connection in particular would be to the film The Blues Brothers. Both start with the journey back to a home that is changed by a man who has been in jail. This is a common enough plot device but the most memorable use of it would have to be Grapes of Wrath and The Blues Brothers. There is also heavy religious allusions in both. I can only hope that the rest of the novel is as similar to that classic film.
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