Name:_______________________
Grapes of Wrath Discussion Questions
Chapters 1-10
Answer the following questions in your notebook.
Chapters 1-3
1. Explain this quote: “The faces of the watching men… became hard and angry and resistant… Then the
women knew that they were safe.
2. Why does the truck driver feel trapped by the hitchhiker’s request for a ride?
3. Name two things the truck driver notices about Tom Joad.
4. Explain the analogy of the turtle and his slow trek across country. What of his actions are similar to
humans?
5. What reason does Jim Casey give for not preaching any longer?
Chapters 4-6
6. What does Casey mean when he says, “There ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue”?
7. What of Casey’s beliefs express transcendentalist ideas?
8. Describe how the bank is personified as a monster.
9. What is so unusual about the fact that all the good planks of wood were left intact on the Joad family
home?
10. Why does Muley refuse to go with the Joad family?
11. What do we learn of Tom Joad’s act of murder?
12. Muley says that he used to be mean “like a wolf,” but now he is mean “like a weasel.” What is the
difference between these two similes?
Chapters 7-10
13. How are the car salesmen in Chapter 7 taking advantage of the families going west?
14. Quote at least two examples of Ma’s behavior as the “citadel of the family.”
15. What is “strange” about Noah?
16. Explain this quote from Chapter 9: “How can we live without our lives? How will we know it’s us
without our past?”
17. In meaning and form, paragraph 10 of Chapter 9 parallels the opening lines of the “Battle Hymn of the
Republic.” State the implications in this parallel.
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord:
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.
18. Quote some statements by Ma and Tom that serve to foreshadow difficulties.
19. Why does Casey want to go West? Why doesn’t Grampa want to go West?
20. Why is Al the driver, and not Pa? What does this suggest?