Quotestock!
Please post two passages from the reading (along with page numbers) that caught your attention. Along with each passage, provide a brief explanation as to why you chose it.
No minimum word count!
This blog is due by 11:59pm on Sunday, 10 April 2011
Page 122
ReplyDelete“And here’s a story you can hardly believe, but it’s true, and it’s funny and it’s beautiful. There was a family of twelve and they were forced off the land. They had no car. The built a trailer out of junk and loaded it with their possessions. They pulled it to the side of 66 and waited. And pretty soon a sedan picked them up. Five of them rode in the sedan and seven on the trailer, and a dog on the trailer. They got to California in two jumps. The man who pulled them fed them. And that’s true. But how can such courage be, and such faith in their own species? Very few things would teach such faith.
The people on flight from the terror behind-strange things happen to them, some bitterly cruel and some so beautiful that the faith is refired forever. “
I chose this passage because it poses a huge question about people, and how they trust other people, even when they have been fooled before. I find myself doing this as well, no matter how many times I feel let down by certain people, I still maintain a relationship with them. But I am not really sure why. I guess this passage gives me hope that even when you cannot trust the people you are supposed to be closest to, you still may be able to trust and rely on complete strangers.
Page 35-36
“He could not see the land as it was, he could not smell the land as it smelled; his feet did not stamp the clods or feel the warmth and power of the earth…..He loved the land no more than the bank loved the land> he could admire the tractor…The land bore under iron, and under iron gradually died; for it was not loved or hated, it had no prayers or curses.”
I chose this passage because it is the exact opposite of the last I chose. This tractor driver is a stranger to the people who live on this land, yet he does not care for them in any way. He doesn’t even feel sorry about what he has to do, he just knows that if he doesn’t he will suffer in some way. It makes me wonder about strangers, and how I prejudge people I see in public and think that I automatically cannot trust them, because they are strangers. It also makes me wonder if they judge me in the same way, simply because they do not know me either. I guess the lesson to be learned when you think about both passages is that desperate times require you to trust more.
"Granma was still then. And outside the tent all the noise had stopped. A car whished by on the highway. Casy still knelt on the floor beside the mattress. The people outside were listening, standing quietly intent on the sounds of dying. Sairy took Granma by the arm and led her outside, and Granma moved with dignity and held her head high. She walked for the family and held her head straight for the family. Sairy took her to a mattress lying on the ground and sat her down on it. And Granma looked straight ahead, proudly, for she was on show now." (pg 138)
ReplyDeleteI thought Steinbeck wrote this so beautifully. Even though it was so sad, this was one of my favorite parts so far because it was so well written. It amazes me how death can bring a family so close. Everyone knew that Grandpa pretty much died with the land, so I guess this wasn't a surprise, but for the family to not give up just yet, to me, was incredible. The death of Grandpa definitely showed that this family is gonna try their hardest to stick together no matter what.
" 'Thirty days is all right,' Tom said. 'An' a hunderd an' eighty days is all right. But over a year - I dunno. There's somepin bout it that ain't like nothin' else in the worl'. Somepin screwy about it, somepin screwy abuout the whole idear a lockin' people up.' " (pg 177)
I chose this because it fascinated me so much. I was very interested at the idea that Tom thought that prison itself wasn't a good idea. When Tom talks about prison like this, it makes me wonder if prison really did make him go a little crazy. He seems to be okay around his family, and not dangerous, but sometimes I really wonder if prison really messed with his mind. He denies it to Ma, but he knows she has enough to worry about to begin with. He tells Al that it messes with people, but doesn't really say if it messed with him or not. Interesting...
1. “The people in flight from the terror behind- strange things happen to them, some bitterly cruel and some so beautiful that the faith is restored forever,” (Pg 122).
ReplyDeleteIt is said that in times of crisis a person’s true character is shown and I wholeheartedly agree. This quote was the final sentence of Chapter 12, where readers witnessed a man who refused to sell tires at a fair price to the Okies migrating to California. As a result, they were forced to keep driving despite their dilapidated vehicle and their son who was begging for water. However, in the same chapter, the readers are told of a man who towed and fed a family of twelve that was stranded on the side of the road. Sometimes it is tempting just to give up on humanity, and then you hear of a story like this. This is a perfect example of the things that are “so beautiful that the faith is restored forever.” It is stories like these that make you believe in the goodness of life.
2. “If he needs a million acres to make him feel rich, seems to me he needs it ‘cause he feels awful poor inside hisslef, and if he’s poor in hisself, there ain’t no million acres gonna make him feel rich- not rich like Mis’ Wilson was when she giver her tent when Grampa died. I ain’t trying to preach no sermon, but I never seen nobody that’s busy as a prairie dog collectin’ stuff that wasn’t disappointed,” (Pg 207).
I think what Reverand Casy is trying to convey is that it is better to be rich in spirit than rich in material objects. Money cannot buy happiness. Although the Joads and the Wilsons are struggling to survive, they are still better off than the ranch owners. They have one another and they can recognize what is truly important in life. The man whom Casy is referring to simply cannot comprehend this, and as a result simply buys and buys land in an attempt to fill the empty void inside of him. In addition, this reminded me of Jay Gatsby. He devoted his entire life to his social advancement, but he was never truly happy. His mansion, his luxury car and even Daisy (who was almost a prize herself) could not satisfy him.
1. “So easy that the wonder goes out of work, so efficient that the wonder goes out of the land and the working of it, and with the wonder the deep understanding and the relation. And in the tractor man there grows the contempt that comes only to a stranger who has little understanding and no relation. For nitrates are not the land, nor phosphates and the length of fiber in cotton is not the land. Carbon is not a man, nor salt nor water nor calcium. He is all these, but he is much more, much more; and the land is so much more than its analysis.” – page 115
ReplyDeleteIn order for the reader to fully understand the predicament of the Joad Family, they must comprehend the relationship between the tenant farmers and their land. This quote nicely summarizes the contrast between the traditional farming techniques and the new technological methods of the hired men. To the Joads, and their neighbors, their land was much more than their property. It was their livelihood, the place where they were born, where they would die and where they would be buried. To be uprooted and forced to migrate west was the ultimate loss for these families. When the reader is able to understand the significance of the land within The Grapes of Wrath, they will gain a deeper insight into the motivating factors of the characters.
2. “And perhaps a man brought out his guitar to the front of his tent. And he sat on a box to play, and everyone in the camp moved slowly in toward him, drawn in toward him…There you have something – the deep chords beating, beating, while the melody runs on the strings like little footsteps.” – page 199
I was drawn to this passage because it describes an odd phenomenon that I have often observed in times of great stress. In moments when it would seem logical that everyone would be self-consumed with their own worries, the opposite happens, and people inherently gather together. For the farmers of the dust bowl, a code of civility develops in the make-shift camps that are formed along the highways. Complete strangers rejoice together over the birth of a child and grieve over the numerous graves. This passage reveals a uniquely human characteristic – the ability to empathize with those around you and draw strength from others.
“Where are we gonna go?”
ReplyDelete“That’s none of our business. We got orders to get you out of here. In half an hour we set fire to the camp.” pg 237
I found this quote very interesting because I think that it reveals a major truth in this book and in the modern world. People are always too at ease at relinquishing responsibility for something or someone. It’s always easier to do something if you’re forced or if it’s not your problem. That’s what made it so easy for these policemen to kick out countless families and burn their meager possessions. They don’t think about what they’re actually doing or question the order because it would be too “painful” to carry out the order if they did. People in general should question everything. They should be open-minded critics, which may seem like an oxymoron, but it’s true. Instead of mindlessly shoving these “Oakies” along like clones (Star Wars reference get it?) without any humanity, the cops should try to understand the situation that these poor farmers are in. Even if they still have to kick them out because it’s out of their hands, they can help in little ways, even with some kindness. Small acts like that may seem irrelevant but they can mean the world to someone else.
“We ain’t foreign. Seven generations back Americans…” pg 233
This quote is very representative of the times where the state you came from was more important than the country. People thought of themselves as citizens of their state before citizens of their country. This is one of the reasons that the displaced farmers were rejected so much. This whole attitude really gets on my nerves. How can you be a citizen of a state and not one of the country? All of these people live in the UNITED States of America. This prejudice branches out to include other countries too. Why should people have to prove that they’re American or whatever nationality you choose to be accepted? Some of the greatest people in American history weren’t American at all! Why should one person from one country be worth more than another? People have to start accepting each other regardless of what patch of land they were born on? If the Californians had accepted the new people they could have grown stronger, but now they are constantly in conflict trying to keep everyone out.
“How can you frighten a man whose hunger is not only in his own cramped stomach but in the wretched bellies of his children? You can't scare him--he has known a fear beyond every other.” (Page 237).
ReplyDeleteI chose this quote because it really says a lot about the emotions felt at this point in time. Many men had a feeling of hopelessness and they knew that if they couldn’t find work, their families would starve. And how can you live with yourself knowing your children are going hungry because you aren’t making any money? Granted, this wasn’t the men’s fault but at this time in the United States the men brought home the money and put food on the table for their families. A person loses their sense of purpose if they can’t do that, especially when it’s what they’ve always been capable of doing and suddenly that’s all taken from them. It really is unimaginable to try and relate what these people went through. As Jen often says in Socratics, these really are some of the strongest people in American history and I think this passage accurately reflects the day-to-day fear they had to cope with that many of us will likely never have to endure. It also makes me think of my own father and how he works so hard for my family and we don’t struggle to put food on the table but there are still stresses of everyday life. But the fear of not being able to feed your family is probably the scariest feeling imaginable, not to know when your next meal will be. The thought of that is terrifying and that’s what made this two simple sentences so powerful.
“Tom grinned. ‘It don't take no nerve to do somepin when there ain't nothin' else you can do.’ “ (Page 215)
I chose this passage as well because it says a lot about the character of these men and women during this time period. Considering all the negativity surrounding them kept a surprisingly positive demeanor. Tom is saying here that when you have no options a person just has to man up and get the job done. When there are no other options you don’t have any room for error. You don’t have time to waste. You do what you have to do to stay alive for yourself and for you family. There is really nothing else you can do except to just keep going forward. There is no going back for these people either. Either way, things look bleak.
haley is actually hillary on here by the way...
ReplyDelete"There were forty tents and shacks, beside each habitation some kind of automobile. Far down the line a few children stood and stared at the newly arrived truck, and they moved cautiously toward it.." (page 242).
ReplyDeleteThis passage stood out to me because it showed the neediness of the Hoovervilles. Each home was jammed next to each other with only room for a car next to each. The homes aren't even referred to as homes, but as habitations. Habitations sounds more like an animals home then a humans home. Then it says that the children cautiously move toward the new arrival. Not only are the children set to live in a horrible and grungy place, but they are also scared. The new arrival could be folks like them or they could be cops coming to move them out. It breaks my heart to think that in our history's past children had to live in fear instead of play with a peaceful mind.
"Ruthie said pertly, "It ain't no crazier'n a lot of things"" (page 270)
Ruthie and Winfield were acting drunk when Al found them and told them to stop acting crazy. A lot of time adults don't notice the things that their children pick up. These two young kids picked up on Uncle John being drunk and were mimicking him. The only difference is that the kids were playing and they got judged, but Uncle John wastes the family's money on beer and it's not judged. I thought this line shows how wise the children during the dust bowl were. The fact that Ruthie understands it's crazy, but she doesn't think it's any crazier then half of what happens in the Joad's tent. Her response is very mature and it conceals a hint that I don't think Al picked up on.
1. "Tom said, 'seems like I walked into somepin. Sure, I'll work. I got to work." -pg 295
ReplyDeleteThis quote honestly shows how completely deperate the people of this time were. I think Tom represents the majority of people of the time because everyone was desperate for something. I think if the guy would have offered Tom 5 cents he would take it because it is work and he really has no other option. It is kind of sad because the majority of people had no work and they needed anything they could get. I think also that they accepted the price cut with happiness because the owner told them about the fight. He warned them and i think that was very nice of him and something he didn't have to do. However, maybe he just told them about it so he didnt have to lose his workers.
2. "Ma pulled herself together. 'John you go find Pa. Get to the store. I want beans an' sugar an'-a piece of fryin' meat an' carrots an'- tell Pa to get somepin nice-anything-but nice- for tonight. Tonight- we'll have- somepin nice." pg-324
I think this show how much hope Ma has. I really respect her because she is never giving up. She is trying with all of her might to keep the family together and not let them break apart. She also looks out for the family as a whole. I really enjoy her character and think she is the hope of the novel. Through everything she continued to believe everything would be okay. She always has a good outlook on everything, she is very optimistic.
“‘Look’, the young man said. ‘S’pose you got a job of work, an’ there’s jus’ one fella wants the job. You got to pay ‘im what he asts. But s’pose they’s a hundred men.’ He put down his tool. His eyes hardened and his voice sharpened. ‘S’pose they’s a hundred men wants that job. S’pose them men got kids, an’ them kids is hungery. S’pose a lousy dime’ll buy a box a mush for them kids. S’pose a nickel’ll buy at leas’ somepin for them kids. An’ you got a hundred men. Just offer ‘em a nickel. Know what they was payin’ las’ job I had? Fifteen cents an hour.” (pg 245)
ReplyDeleteI chose this passage because it really shows how terrible it is for the “okies” out in California. The owners want to pay as little as possible so that they can make the most money. The “okies” are basically forced to take ten or five cents an hour because at least it is something. At least with those five cents they can get something little to eat with, just to make sure their family doesn’t starve to death. If they don’t take the job for five cents an hour then someone else surely will. That is then five cents that they don’t have, five cents that they can’t use to buy food for their families. There is no good outcome for them.
“‘Connie wasn’t no good. I seen that a long time. Didn’ have no guts, jus’ too big for his overalls’” (pg 272)
I chose this passage because it shows what the trip to California did to most people. Connie left the family because I don’t think he could take the pressure. He saw what the Hooverville was like, he saw that the people there were living with nothing. Connie has promised Rose of Sharon so much, and knew there would be no way to get her those things especially before the baby came. This flight to California broke up and destroyed so many families. The Joad family lost Grandma and Grandpa, and then Noah and Connie both walked away.
“The last clear definite function of man—muscles aching to work, minds aching to create beyond the single need—this is man. To build a wall, to build a house, a dam, and in the wall and house and dam to put something of Manself, and to Manself take back something of the wall, the house the dam; to take hard muscles from the lifting, to take the clear lines and form from conceiving. For man, unlike any other thing organic or inorganic in the universe, grows beyond his work, walks up the stairs of his concepts, emerges ahead of his accomplishments.” (pg. 150)
ReplyDeleteI liked this quote because it is saying that just because the workers want higher wages and better pay, doesn’t mean they will work any less or give any less effort. I think it is symbolic of the workers’ reputations and desire to work with dignity. This quote is biblical in the sense that man builds the wall, house, dam and in each creation leaves a part of himself. I liked this passage because it showed that the workers weren’t being selfish in asking for better treatment, only trying to be respected.
“And then all of a sudden, the family began to function. Pa got up and a lighted another lantern. Noah from a box in the kitchen, brought out the bow-bladed butchering knife and whetted it on a worn little carborundum stone. And he laid the scraper on the chopping block, and the knife beside it. Pa brought two sturdy sticks, each three feet long, and pointed the ends with the ax, and he tied strong ropes, double half-hitched, to the middle of the sticks.” (pg. 104).
I like this quote because it stresses the strength in numbers theme so far in this novel. Ma has reminded the family consistently that family is the most important thing. I think that this is true because so far family is the only constant in the Joad family’s life. Everything around them is changing, and the only thing they can count on always being the same is family. This passage shows that the Joads work well together and are better together.
1. "Well, you and me got sense. Them goddamn Okies got no sense and no feeling. They ain't human. A human being wouldn't live like they do. A human being couldn't stand it to be so dirty and miserable. They ain't a hell of a lot better than gorillas," (pg. 221).
ReplyDeleteI would never have thought to think any less of the travelers, like the Joads. I know that their lifestyle is not their choice, because of the situation they are put in. I would never have even thought to look at and see anything but perseverance. However, I do also understand that the lack of communication between the natives and newcomers blocks the ability to even care about the real story behind the way they are. Maybe the natives don't know about hardship, because they've never had to go through it. Most understanding comes from experience I think. This block could be the leading cause of why no one can get anywhere with the way their lives are going. Poor people give to poor people, because they know that they know what it feels like. Rich people and the native people don't care to give to the poor people, because they think they have worked harder to get to where they are so why should they feel for anyone else. Maybe these thoughts are crazy, but if everyone helped out a little maybe the people in the story could reach a steady point without pain.
2. "And it came about that owners no longer worked on their farms. They farmed on paper; and they forgot the land, the smell, the feel of it, and remembered only that they owned it, remembered only what they gained and lost by it," (pg. 232).
If people only do things for the money, then the world is in trouble. Pride and courage and love of the game are what get people more than just money in their lives. There is more giving than receiving when work is done with the heart. The job gets done better and the workers are happier. However, as it is in this novel, the people in charge are only concerned with numbers. If only they remembered what it felt like to live for the farm and only for the farm, then they could share their passion with their employees, not ruin it for them. Power placed in irresponsible hands can blind their souls from the harm they are doing. If they allowed, at least to share their land for those who really care for farming, they would make their riches and allow for someone else to do so as well.
pg. 228
ReplyDelete“I was afraid we wouldn’ get acrost,” she said. “I tol’ Granma we couldn’ he’p her. The fambly had to get acrost. I tol’ her, tol’ her when she was a-dyin’. We couldn’ stop in the desert. There was the young ones- an’ Rosasharn’s baby. I tol’ her.” She put up her hands and covered her face for a minute. “She can get buried in a nice green place,” Ma said softly. “Trees aroun’ an’ a nice place. She got to lay her head down in California.”
The family looked at Ma with a little terror at her strength.
I picked this passage because it was the most striking example of characterization that I had yet seen in the novel. It shows the incredible strength and dedication of Ma to the family and there continued survival. Just imagining the toughness it took to do what she did without saying anything to anybody about it is unimaginable to me. Reading the story one can’t not feel an incredible level of respect and admiration to Ma, something that has been lacking in many of the other characterizations of female characters in the previous novels we’ve read. The last line of the passage just sums it up perfectly in my opinion.
pg. 239
Poor little fella.
Yeah, but them folks can’t bury him. Got to go to the county stone
orchard.
Well, hell.
And hands went into pockets and little coins came out. In front of the
tent a little heap of silver grew. And the family found it there.
Our people are good people; our people are kind people. Pray God
some day kind people won’t be poor. Pray God some day a kid can eat.
And the associations of owners knew that someday the praying would
stop.
And there’s the end.
I thought that this passage was one of the most moving of the entire work. One technique that i picked up on was the syntax used. The passage is written in short, simple sentences, which add to the impact of the message presented. “Well, hell.” It’s impressive how much depth of emotion Steinbeck can show the reader with just two simple words. Overall the passage is simple, moving, and prophetic all in one, and it certainly made an impact on me reading it.
"'Set down,' Ma said. "That was 'bout the las' stew we're gonna have till we get work. S'pose you was cookin' a stew an' a bunch a little fellas stood aroun' moonin', what'd you do? We didn't have enough, but you can't keep it when they look at ya like that.'" (pg. 259)
ReplyDeleteThis mystery woman really made me very angry. She was quite ungrateful for the fact that her child was fed by some other family. Yes, it is understandable that she feels ashamed by the fact that she didn't have food to give to her son but if that were me in this situation, I would've thanked Ma a million times for what she had done and how selfless she really is. I believe this woman represents the part of the population who tried to stick it out all by themselves with no help from others. She reminded me of the people who didn't care about others nor was grateful of what others did for them. Ma on the other hand is a very loving, gentle person who would give the clothes off of her back for someone else. This quote fully depicts what these two characters are all about.
"Tom stood up and, bending, he lifted the loose sagging body and boosted it over his shoulder. He staggered under the loose weight. John's hanging hands tapped him on the back as he went, slowly, puffing up the bank to the highway. Once a car came by and lighted him with the limp man over his shoulder. The car slowed for a moment and then roared away." (pg. 276)
I think this quote is a prime example of imagery. I'm not sure what it was about this quote that made me like it or made it stick out, it may have been his hands tapping his back. it reminded me of when I would fall asleep in the back seat of the car after a long drive home, and I would pretend to be asleep so my dad would carry me inside, except, in this case the roles are reversed almost. Instead of the older carrying the younger, it's the other way around.
“The bank is something more than men, I tell you. It's the monster. Men made it, but they can't control it.” – Chapter 5 page 33
ReplyDeleteI think this line gets to a main essential point in this book. The fact that we can make the uncontrollable, that things can grow out of our control. It shows that we aren’t alone in our struggles when things become out of our hands now it has happened before to our ancestors and that they understand what we have been through. Yet it gets to a deeper point as well in the book. Who is to blame when things go wrong? Do we blame the messenger or he who sent him? Do we blame the person struggling to keep his family alive or the person he works for? So many questions can be attained from just this one quote and I think that that is why it’s one of the more memorable works.
“Our people are good people; our people are kind people. Pray God some day kind people won’t all be poor. Pray God some day a kid can eat.”- Chapter 19 pg 239
I can’t exactly say why I like this line. I guess it goes to the heart of the want of good things to happen to good people. We always wonder why it happens that those who do good are normally the ones who get hurt and this line somewhat expresses that. We want the just to be rewarded just as the bible says they will be (an allusion?). Also the innocence of a child also plays on the want of the just to get their reward one day. The people going through this god forsaken horror of the dust bowl deserve to have some good come to them at some point. They suffer together and don’t let another go down alone. Yet we watch as they suffer in this book and the quote gives our greatest hope, that their suffering will soon end.
(pg 224)
ReplyDelete“Our people are good people; our people are kind people. Pray God some day kind people won’t all be poor. Pray God some day a kid can eat.” (pg. 239)
ReplyDeleteI chose this quote because it is a general feeling of what all the people migrating to California felt like. Thousands of people were packed into small, unsanitary, poor Hoovervilles and that was the option they had to live. Many people were truly good people, like the Joads, and it was a sad time to see them all so poor. The quote pretty much is saying that these innocent people don’t deserve the awful lives they are living. Also the last line of the quote is really strong in a sense that children are starving. It relates to the part where Ma Joad is cooking dinner when the Joads first arrive in the Hooverville and all the children huddle around hoping that they might be able to get some food that day. It really is a sad concept to wrap your head around. People couldn’t feed their families properly and there wasn’t really anything they could do about. “Pray God” shows how faith was important to a lot of people to get by during these hard times.
"Fella gets use' to a place, it's hard to go," said Casy. "Fella gets use' to a way of thinkin' it's hard to leave." (pg 51)
This quote explains a lot of the reasons for behavior in the novel. Muley, for instance, was adamant to stay on his land even though it would barely be possible to live. That was home to him and he wasn’t leaving, even when his family left, he stayed behind. Grandpa Joad also falls under this quote. He died early on the journey to California but he died a spiritual death as soon as they left their homeland. The land was a part of him and all he knew, leaving it was comparable to leaving his life and that is exactly what happened. It was difficult for many of the travelers to adjust to a new home and new lifestyle because they never knew anything besides home.
"The bank is something more than men, I tell you. It's the monster. Men made it, but they can't control it."
ReplyDeleteI love this quote!!! I think it shows so much humanity and human fault. I should probably explain first thoug what I think humanity. I don't feel its like human compassion or having concience or anything. I think humanity encopasses the things we humans can't escape, our basic instincts and feelings and emotions; like the need for survival, jealousy, selfishness or sympathy. basically the things that make us human and set us aside from animals. So anyway I like this quote because i think it points out a lot of our flaws as humans and how we don't even realize them. These men created this establishment that probably started with good intentions, but feed by human greed, became quite literally a living thing that destroyed so many people. I think that this could have been forseen and prevented but because of our human short comings it was doomed to turn into a monster. This situation reminds me of the atom bomb in a lot of ways. Scientist created this tremendous forrce with the intentions to use it for good but really it was just used to end the lives of millions of innocent people. I think that could've been avoided but our country was feeling an inescapable need for revenge that the didn't realize how terrible the action would be until after cit was done and over. And that need for revenge is just another basic human emotion. I'm not saying that everyone acts on it but the thought is still there.
I know this … a man got to do what he got to do.
(pg 224)
i was drawn to this quote because itbrought up alot of internal questions. Are there any boundries when it comes to your family? Is there any such thing as too far when it comes to their survival? who's to say what's right or wrong when it comes down to making decisions for yourself. That last queston really gets me going. Sometimes I don't think its fair for a goverment to send out these universal laws when we live in a county with millions of people from differen backgrounds religions and races. How can they tell us what is "right". I know without laws society would be chaos but I don't think i should have to follw a law that disagrees with my morals. Who has the right to tell me what I feel, what I believe is wrong? Does anybody really have that right?
“How can we live without our lives? How will we know it’s us without our past? No. Leave it. Burn it.” (pg.88)
ReplyDeleteThis passage is from the part in the novel where the Joad family is trying to decide what to bring with them and what to leave behind when traveling to California. I think these words are so strong and sum up the family; and the countries, struggle of starting new. I have never had to think about starting completely over because I was forced to. If I had to, I would think I would lead my life somewhat similar to my past life. I know for sure that my previous ‘life’ would definitely have an impact on how I would live my new ‘life’. I would have pictures and memorabilia with me to remind me of the ones that care about me and who had influenced me to become the person I am. I have no idea how any family could just leave everything and go into the unknown with barley enough to survive, let alone the sentimental material items that would mean so much to them. I think this passage just shows how strong the people who had to live through the depression are. They had to give up things that we just take for granted.
“Danny in the backseat wants a cup a water. Little fella’s thirsty….listen to that gasket whistle…Danny wants a cup of water… People in flight along 66. Danny wants a cup a water. He’ll have to wait, poor little fella. He’s hot. Nex’ service station.” (pg. 121)
I think that this passage is one of the many examples illustrated in the novel that shows how hard it was for the Country to just get a hold of the little things. It is not much to ask for a glass of water, but the reality of it was that most folks had no idea when the next time they would even come across water, food or shelter. The necessities of life were not being provided. I could not imagine being a mother and having to hear you child cry because he is thirsty and you cannot even provide him with a glass of water. Just imagine the mass amounts of people who had to have been undernourished and dehydrated. How many people must have died because they couldn’t have a glass of water? This passage is helping to develop the theme by showing the importance to the things that people take for granted today. Life is hard. However, everyone should still be thankful for things they have because most likely someone else has it a lot worse than you.