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Grapes of Wrath – Envelope Activity Topics
Created by Wendy Pierce
At the heart of The Grapes of Wrath is change, and we watch families cope as they are forced to change their lives, their homes, and their dreams. Change is bittersweet in this novel because it is imposed upon thousands of farmers and families who would otherwise prefer to remain right where they are. Who changes the most in this novel? How does the
Joads’ lifestyle change over the course of their journey to California? Do any characters fight change in this novel? If so, what happens when they fight change? Look for examples of this change.
No understanding of the novel can avoid the inter-weaving of biblical themes, allusions in the title, names of characters, etc. in Steinbeck’s classic. Steinbeck presents varied views of religion in this novel. Look for examples of direct and indirect statements regarding religion.
Steinbeck examines the suffering of people in this time period. Who suffers and what do they suffer? What is the effect on the sufferer and those close to him/her? What purpose does the illustrations of suffering serve? Note examples as you read.
The movement from “I” to “we” has serious significance for many of the characters in the novel. Look for specific instances in which characters demonstrate this philosophy.
Examine the precursors to their shift in paradigm of thought and the effects such a shift has on them, their circumstances, and those around them.
John Steinbeck was a great lover and observer of the natural world. Some critics see him as a literary naturalist, one who applied principles of scientific determinism (“survival of the fittest”) to his fiction. The naturalistic view of human beings is that of animals in the natural world, responding to environmental forces and internal stresses and drives over which they have no control nor do they fully understand. Find evidences of this naturalism from the text.
Like animals, the characters are often beset by circumstances over which they have little control, but there are moments, when, unlike animals, the characters make humane choices or decisions. They overcome obstacles and go forward. List these choices and decisions.
From Emerson, a noted transcendentalist, Steinbeck took the idea of an Oversoul. The consequence of believing in an Oversoul is living by the truth that humankind is bound to one another with spiritual bonds. We become responsible for what happens to our neighbors and to society in general. Find examples of this principle as exemplified in the actions of specific characters in the novel. Some to consider include Casy, Tom, Ma,
Rose of Sharon, the Wilsons, and the Wainwrights.
Created by Wendy Pierce, Folsom High School, Folsom, CA

8. When The Grapes of Wrath was first published, critics rejected it for two major reasons:
One group found the language offensive….A larger group, however, rejected the book on political grounds. Steinbeck’s attacks on the banks and land owners won him the label
“Communist.” Judged a proletarian novel because it dealt with the laboring classes, the novel was called Marxist by many readers in the Forties and Fifties. Look for evidences of this philosophy.
9. Many of the intercalary chapters provide historical or descriptive information that connects to the Joads’ story. Sometimes an anonymous character echoes (or foretells) actions of one of the novel’s main characters. Sometimes a small occurrence in one chapter is explored in depth in a succeeding chapter. Look for and note those connections as you read.
10. Animal imagery is significant in Steinbeck’s descriptions and serves a large purpose.
Find and record animal imagery and determine what those connections are to the humans and events in the novel. We watch humans kill animals without a second thought, and we begin to see similarities between the ways humans and their furry friends behave during desperate times. Note the way people treat the animals they encounter.
11. Like Fitzgerald, Steinbeck uses color imagery effectively to set the mood, to convey ideas, and to express the essence of life and people from the Depression Era. Take note of colors and their associations in the text.
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Steinbeck’s ambivalence toward machines (and America’s future in 1939) is captured throughout the text. He ponders the age-old question: What does it mean to be human in a world that is becoming increasingly mechanized? How is machinery imagery used in the text? How applicable is that to historical and current events in society? Note examples from the text.
13. While the women in this novel by custom of the time are considered socially inferior to the men, they are remarkably well drawn, with Ma Joad being perhaps the most memorable of all Steinbeck’s characters. Steinbeck’s main female characters are dependent but a source of strength and endurance for their men. List the various examples of the ways you see Ma, Rose of Sharon, Mae, Mrs. Wilson, Mrs. Wainwright, and Lisbeth Sandry exhibiting strength, leadership, or a moral center for other characters in the novel.
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Steinbeck’s characterization for the migrants, the homeless, directly affects our perception of them. Are we judgmental? Sympathetic? What has Steinbeck done to affect our views of the “Okies” as they trek across the country and wind up in
Hoovervilles? Look closely for evidences of his narrative stance.
Created by Wendy Pierce, Folsom High School, Folsom, CA

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In examining Steinbeck’s male characters, we must consider what role each plays. What role does Uncle John play? Why was he included in the journey to California?
Grampa—what is important to note about his role? Pa Joad—is he a weak or strong character? How is Tom Joad crucial to the story? Jim Casy, although not one of the
Joads, joins the family in the migration; what role does he play? And, you should consider some of the minor male characters such as Al and Connie. Look for specific development of all these male characters.
16. Most myths are concerned with bigger-than-life heroes who perform deeds of great valor requiring superhuman courage. The episodes of the myth are important to the history of a nation or a race. Their settings are vast, covering great nations, the world, or the universe. Myths sometimes contain prophesies of coming doom. Finally, the hero is often granted immortality as a reward for fighting injustice. If Tom Joad is the hero of
Steinbeck’s novel, he hardly seems godlike in chapter 1. Look for evidence of the mythical journey involving Tom and/or Casy. Do Tom and Casy unselfishly fight injustice? Are they transformed into almost superhuman characters? Find and record evidence from the text.
18. The Grapes of Wrath is full of blood. We also know that the "grapes of wrath" in "The
Battle Hymn of the Republic" refers to injustice and spilt blood. Blood signals both life and death, so note and pay attention to moments in which it bubbles to the surface of this novel.
19. Making music is one of the most natural things for humans to do. We've been making music for thousands and thousands of years. So, whenever we hear music or whenever music is present, we know humans are tapping into their ancient abilities and desires. We know that their celebrating or mourning, we know that they are expressing themselves in some way. What examples of music do you detect in this novel? Note them and examine what purpose they serve.
20. Whoever said a road is just a road has not read The Grapes of Wrath . As an archetype in literature, a road at its fundamental level is a journey. But it's interesting to note that
Route 66 never really intersects with any other major highway or road – it goes in two directions only. When you are on Route 66, you can either go forward in search of opportunity, or you can go backwards and return to the poverty you came from. We also learn that roads are dangerous places. Note what happens on the road and consider the meaning.
21. There are several characters who, overcome by fear, choose to serve themselves rather than their community at large. Does Muley Graves betray his family by not following them to California? Does Willy Feeley betray his community by accepting a job as a tractor driver, or is he merely supporting his family? What kinds of betrayal do we see in The Grapes of Wrath ?
Created by Wendy Pierce, Folsom High School, Folsom, CA