Why you should read The Grapes of Wrath:
1. The Joad family is unforgettable; once readers get to know the
Joads, we are compelled to finish their journey with them.
2. Steinbeck vividly, painfully, and powerfully captures an era of
American history and brings it to life -- one will never forget
the refugee experience of the Dust Bowl.
3. Steinbeck’s description of the land and how the depression
affected Americans is an excellent example of how “setting”
can inhabit a novel as forcefully and substantially as a character.
4. Once the Joads reach California, the pace of the narrative picks
up and the novel becomes hard to put down.
Why you may struggle with The Grapes of Wrath:
1. The length!
2. It is difficult to read about the hardships of the Depression and
a sense of doom pervades much of the novel.
3. Steinbeck’s shifting point of view can feel preachy at times.
Still interested? A few suggestions before you begin…
If your edition has an introduction, save it for the
end. Allow yourself to experience unadulterated
first impressions – as the author intended! When
you finish the novel, then enjoy the introduction and
experience what an “expert” believes about the
novel.
The novel starts out a little slow – it may help to
think of the novel in three parts:
1. Tom finding his parents
2. The Joad’s journey to California
3. The Joads surviving in California
The Joads are originally sharecoppers. Here is a
site to explain this:
http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/features/feature50/far
mers.htm
The Joads are referred to as “Okies” since they are
originally from Oklahoma. Here is a definition and
historical context:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okie
Stunning pictures of the Dust Bowl:
http://www.weru.ksu.edu/new_weru/multimedia/
dustbowl/dustbowlpics.html
Fast Facts – The Grapes of Wrath
Pages – 455 (Putnam’s Steinbeck Centennial Paperback Edition)
Author – John Steinbeck
Date Published -- 1939
Setting – Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California
Point of view – Shifts, but primarily third person omniscient
Genre – Drama
Issues/Conflicts – The Great Depression / The Dust Bowl /
Family / Community / Farming / Unions
Beyond the Basics…
Nobel presentation speech:
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1962/press.html
Pictures of sharecroppers:
http://tjrhino1.umsl.edu/whmc/view.php?description_get=sharecropper
Background on the Dust Bowl:
http://eh.net/encyclopedia/article/Cunfer.DustBowl
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dustbowl/peopleevents/pandeAMEX07.ht
ml
Reasons why the novel has been challenged or banned:
http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=bbwlinks&Template=/ContentMa
nagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=136590
Another perspective on Steinbeck’s portrayal of the Dust Bowl:
http://newcriterion.com:81/archive/20/jun02/steinbeck.htm
Pictures of the Dust Bowl:
http://www.weru.ksu.edu/new_weru/multimedia/dustbowl/dustbowlpics.ht
ml
http://www.weru.ksu.edu/vids/
Background on Weedpatch:
http://www.weedpatchcamp.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weedpatch
Dorothea Lange photos of migrant workers:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/128_migm.html
http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&safe=off&rls=GGLG,GGLG:200
5-49,GGLG:en&sa=N&resnum=0&q=Dorothea%20Lange&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&tab=wi
The Grapes of Wrath -- Author Information
John Steinbeck was born in 1902 in Salinas, California and lived most
of his life in this state. He attended Stanford University for a number
of years, enrolling in literature and writing courses, but did not obtain
a degree. He worked as a journalist in New York City for a brief time
and as a war correspondent in WWII and Vietnam. He ultimately
published over 30 works of fiction and nonfiction, including Of Mice
and Men, East of Eden, and The Pearl. The Grapes of Wrath was a
bestseller when published in 1939 and is considered his best novel,
winning the Pulitzer Prize. Steinbeck believed East of Eden, a largely
autobiographical account of his family, was his best work. In 1962 he
won the Nobel Prize for Literature and died in 1968 of heart failure.
Throughout his life, Steinbeck signed his letters with the words “Ad
Astra Per Alia Porci” – “To the stars on the wings of a pig.”
Further information on Steinbeck:
Information on his other novels and a list of great links:
http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/Steinbeck/index.html
More biographical information:
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/johnstei.htm
The Center for Steinbeck Studies site:
http://www.steinbeck.sjsu.edu/home/index.jsp
The National Steinbeck Center site:
http://www.steinbeck.org/MainFrame.html
Steinbeck’s birthplace and boyhood home:
http://www.steinbeckhouse.com/
Pictures of Steinbeck with his beloved poodle:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgibin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8897668
Places to Visit with Steinbeck Associations:
http://www.windyhillpublications.com/steinbeck-country-sub.htm
Printable Bookmark! Please print and then cut to use as a reference as you read!!
Only basic information has been provided to avoid “spoilers.” The “Intro” column indicates
the chapter in which each character is first introduced. Enjoy!
Character
Description
Intro
Young Tom
Protagonist; paroled Ch. 2
Joad
from prison.
Jim Casy
Former preacher
Ch. 4
Muley Graves
Neighbor who
Ch. 6
remains in OK
Ma Joad
Tom’s mother
Ch. 8
Granpa and
Tom’s grandfather
Ch. 8
Granma
and grandmother
Pa Joad (Tom) Tom’s father
Ch. 8
Noah Joad
Tom’s oldest
Ch. 8
brother
Al Joad
Tom’s 16 year old
Ch. 8
brother
Ruthie Joad
Tom’s 12 year old
Ch. 8
sister
Winfield Joad
Tom’s 10 year old
Ch. 8
brother
Rose of
Tom’s pregnant
Ch. 8
Sharon Rivers
sister
(Rosasharn)
Connie Rivers Rosasharn’s
Ch. 8
husband; 19yearsold
Uncle John
Tom’s uncle; 50
Ch. 8
years old
Ivy and Sairy
Kansas campers
Ch. 13
Wilson
Floyd Knowles Man grinding valves Ch. 20
in Hooverville
Timothy
Works for Mr.
Ch. 20
Wallace
Thomas
Wilkie Wallace Timothy’s son
Ch. 20
Jim Rawley
Weedpatch camp
Ch. 20
manager
Mr. Thomas
Owns small farm
Ch. 20
Jesse Bullitt
Ladies Committee
Ch. 20
chair
Annie
Ladies Committee
Ch. 20
Littlefield,
members
Ella Summers
Lisabeth
“Christian” woman
Ch. 20
Sandry
who scares
Rosasharn
Ezra Huston
Central Committee
Ch. 24
chairman
Willie Eaton
Entertainment
Ch. 24
chairman
Jule Vitela
Half-Cherokee
Ch. 24
guard at dance
Wainwrights
Boxcar neighbors
Ch. 28
Aggie
Daughter; friend of Ch. 28
Wainwrights
Al
Menu Ideas – The Grapes of Wrath
Since this novel is set during the Depression and the Dust Bowl, an extravagant
menu seems inappropriate. But here are a few ideas!
The menu offered at the Steinbeck House changes each week. Check out their
site: http://www.steinbeckhouse.com/menu.htm
Here is one of their menus:
Week of September 25-29
Choice of: Taco Soup or Caesar Salad
Entrée: Spinach Lasagna with Mornay Sauce
Alternate: Soup & Chicken Caesar Salad
Or: Hot Roast Beef Sandwich
Desserts: Double Chocolate Brownies or Lemon Angel Pie
Here are two sites for dishes representative of each of the two states
highlighted in the novel. These sites are meant for classrooms, so they tend to
be quick and easy!
Oklahoma recipes:
http://www.classbrain.com/artstate/publish/oklahoma_recipes.shtml
California recipes:
http://www.classbrain.com/artstate/publish/california_recipes.shtml
Oklahoma recipes:
http://www.classbrain.com/artstate/publish/oklahoma_recipes.shtml
courtesy of Oklahoma Living:
Working Man’s Quiche
Serves 8
1 pound spicy J. C. Potter Sausage, cooked
2 red peppers, roasted and peeled 1 bunch green onions
1⁄2 pound JM Farms mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in olive oil
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese 2 cups Hiland whipping cream
3 eggs 2 tsp. dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste Buttery pie dough
2 cups sifted Shawnee Mills Flour 3⁄4 Tbsp. course salt
2/3 cup unsalted Hiland Butter, cold 4-6 Tbsp. ice water
With a fork or pastry cutter, mix flour, salt and butter until the mixture
resembles coarse cornmeal. Using your hand, work in one tablespoon of ice
water at a time until slightly dry dough ball forms - be careful not to overwork
the dough. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one half
hour. Roll out the pie dough and place in a deep spring form cake pan or a deep
fluted tart shell with a removable bottom. Refrigerate the rolled shell for at least
an hour. While the shell is chilling roast the peppers and brown the sausage and
mushrooms. Mix the mushrooms, sausage, peppers, onions and cheese in a bowl
and pour the cream and egg mixture over it. When everything is combined, pour
into the shell and bake for about an hour at 350 degrees or until the custard has
set. Let the quiche cool on a rack and serve warm.
Apple Butter Cake
2 cups Shawnee Mills all purpose flour (sifted)
1⁄2 tsp. salt 1-1⁄2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon 3⁄4 cup Hiland Dairy unsalted butter
3⁄4 cup dark brown sugar (tightly packed)
2 eggs 1 cup Clements Apple Butter
1 cup pecans
1 cup dried apricots (chopped to the same size as the pecans)
Blend together butter, sugar, eggs and apple butter until creamy, then mix in
the flour, salt, soda and cinnamon. Fold in the pecans and apricots and bake in
greased small bundt pans or large muffin tins at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes
or until passes the toothpick test.
OKLAHOMA CORNMEAL ROLLS -- VernaLisa
1 1/2 c All-purpose flour
3/4 c Cornmeal
1 tb Baking powder
1/4 ts Baking soda
1 t Sugar
1 t Salt
2 tb Shortening
1 Egg, beaten
1 c Buttermilk
Shift together dry ingredients. Cut in shortening
until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg and
buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are
moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured
surface; knead lightly 3 or 4 times. Roll dough to
1/4 inch thickness; cut into 2 1/2 inch circles. Make
a crease across each circle, and fold one half over.
Gently press edges to seal. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 15
minutes or until lightly browned
California recipes:
http://www.classbrain.com/artstate/publish/california_recipes.shtml
Savory Summer Fruit Tartlets from California Tree Fruit Agreement
Ingredients
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (1/2 of a 17.3 oz. package)
1/3 pound wedge Brie cheese
2 small California peaches or nectarines or 2 large plums (or
any mixture), diced
2-3 thin strips prosciutto, diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Thaw pastry according to package directions
and roll into a 14-inch square on a lightly floured board. Cut into 36
equal squares. Press each into the bottom of a mini-muffin cup. Trim
away outer edge (rounded edge) of Brie and cut into small pieces (1inch cubes). Place equal amounts in the bottom of pastry lined cups.
Place several pieces of fruit in each cup on top of cheese; top with
prosciutto. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until puffed and golden
brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped thyme. Serve
warm.
Original Recipe Makes 36 Servings
Rice-Nut Loaf from the California Rice Commission
Ingredients
3 cups cooked medium grain brown rice
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped sunflower kernels
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 16-ounce jar spaghetti sauce (optional)
Directions:
1. Combine rice, cheese, eggs, onion, carrots, breadcrumbs, walnuts, sunflower kernels,
sesame seeds, salt and pepper; pack into greased 9-inch loaf pan.
2. Bake at 350 degrees 50 to 60 minutes until firm. Let cool in pan 10 minutes; unmold
and slice. Serve with heated spaghetti sauce, if desired.
California wine:
http://www.klwines.com/find/search.asp?g=0401Cab&filtered_location=2&w2=&o
b=ap%2Bavi%2Ban&submit=Search&cmd=show&cmd=show&ppg=50&id=1&Tot
alNumberOfResults=408&pg1=1
The Grapes of Wrath – Creating the Mood!!
Here are some ideas to set the mood and get the conversation started to help
you appreciate Steinbeck’s classic. Enjoy!
Introductory Game Ideas:
This novel is a product of a specific time in history and addresses a
number of political issues. Since when we read a novel we “read
ourselves,” consider discussing members’ personal experience with
the issues Steinbeck addresses – the Depression, the Dust Bowl,
migrant workers, unionization – before discussing the novel itself.
Members could also bring an object that represents their knowledge
of the Depression – or simply something that represents the
experience of the novel.
This is a particularly good novel to watch the film version of and
then to compare and contrast with the movie.
One more idea! Try renting A and E’s Biography of Steinbeck from
the library and watch it together.
http://store.aetv.com/html/product/index.jhtml?id=71445
Literary Terms – The Grapes of Wrath
Exposition – the introduction of the setting, characters, conflict(s) at
the beginning of a novel. Our first impressions are so influential to
our enjoyment and impressions of the novel, so after finishing a
novel, skim the first chapter again to see how the author shaped and
influenced your first impressions. Focus questions: 9, 10
Diction – word choice. Notice Steinbeck’s word choice and how
that influences your reading speed as well as enjoyment level. Notice
how Steinbeck represents the dialect of the Joads by using
contractions and words such as “ain’t,” “gonna,” “jus,” and by
referring to “Rose of Sharon” as “Rosasharn.”Focus questions:11, 12
Syntax – style of sentence structure. Notice how the author’s
crafting of syntax affects your engagement as a reader. Complexity
of syntax does not determine literary merit; the pairing of syntax to
meaning does. Steinbeck was a journalist at times and many of his
sentences retain this style, especially when the point of view becomes
omniscient (all-knowing). Focus question: 12
Tone – author’s attitude toward subject. Think “tone of voice.”
Tone is created through diction and can be very subtle, but is
extremely important. If you misinterpret the tone, you most likely
misinterpret the meaning or theme of the narrative. Notice how
Steinbeck’s characters maintain their hope and optimism, despite
their circumstances. Focus questions: 3, 6, 10
Mood – emotional atmosphere of novel. Mood is considered an
aspect of the setting (time, place, atmosphere). When we read a novel,
we “read ourselves,” so think about what type of mood your favorite
novels tend to have and how different moods may influence your
enjoyment level. Focus question: 6
Theme – main idea that runs throughout and unifies novel. Theme
should be stated as a complete thought and not one word, which
would instead be a topic of the novel: instead of “poverty” or “the
land,” consider what the author is saying about the nature of poverty
or the importance of the land in the novel. In classics, themes are
frequently not “morals” of the novel; they may or may not represent
the ideal. Focus questions: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 11
Irony – the opposite of what it expected. Dramatic irony is when
the reader has more information than the character does, providing
the reader with an all-knowing perspective. Situational irony is
when a situation turns out differently than expected. Verbal irony is
when the speaker means the opposite of what is said, so correctly
interpreting tone becomes crucial to the reader’s understanding of the
events and particularly of the themes. An example of situational
irony in The Grapes of Wrath occurs in the last scene of the novel.
Focus question: 13
Imagery – the use of words that engage the senses. Notice how
Steinbeck’s reverence of nature and the land is evident in his imagery:
“In the water-cut gullies the earth dusted down in dry little streams. Gophres and
ant lions started small avalanches. And as the sharp sun struck day after day, the
leaves of the young corn became less stiff and erect; they bent in a curve at first, and
then, as the central ribs of strength grew weak, each leaf tilted downward. Then it
was June, and the sun shone more fiercely. The brown lines on the corn leaves
widened and moved in on the central ribs. The weeds frayed and edged back toward
their roots. The air was thin and the sky more pale; and every day the earth paled.”
(chapter 1).
Focus question: 12
Symbolism – when an element of the story (object, character, color,
etc.) is both literally present in the novel and has significance or
represents something beyond itself. The Joad’s car has great
significance with regard to their survival. Focus questions: 3, 8, 12, 13
Foil – when two characters contrast each other. The characters do
not need to be enemies – or even be aware of one another. The
manager of the Weedpatch Camp and the Hooverville Mayor are
foils in how they treat the migrant workers.
Foreshadowing – when the author provides hints to future events.
The progress of the tortoise in the early chapters foreshadows the
Joad’s upcoming journey.
The Grapes of Wrath Discussion Questions
The following questions approach the novel from a number of
different angles, i.e., how the novel functions as a work of art, how it
reflects the time period, how it addresses fundamental questions of
humanity, and how it engages the reader. A good discussion tends to
start with our “heads” and end with our “hearts.” So, you may want
to save subjective opinions of taste until after you have discussed the
more objective elements of why this work is considered a classic. It
is tempting to begin with, “What did everyone think?” But if a
number of people really didn’t like the novel, their opinions may
derail a discussion of the novel’s merits. On the other hand, I
recommend starting with a few accessible questions and asking every
member to respond to ensure that all voices are present and heard
from the beginning. Just a few suggestions! Enjoy…
Warm up questions
If the novel is divided into three parts (Tom finding his family,
the Joads traveling to California, the Joads time in California),
which part of the Joad’s journey did you find most interesting?
Which part of the journey did you find least interesting?
Which character did you empathize with the most? Which
characters did you dislike the most and why?
Which images from the novel resonated the strongest for you?
1. When first published, this novel was banned (and even burned)
in Oklahoma and California and was panned by many as being
too political and for portraying the camps as worse than they
were. Did the portrayal of the camps seem unrealistic or
overly pessimistic? Did the novel feel political? If so, does
Steinbeck address the issues in a universal way so that the
novel does not seem dated? If a similar novel were written
today, what would be a contemporary issue that might merit a
novel of this magnitude?
2. Religion appears a number of times throughout the novel –
from Jim Casy, the ex-preacher, to Lisbeth Shandry, the
Christian trouble-maker in the Weedpatch camp. The title,
The Grapes of Wrath, is allusion to “The Battle Hymn of the
Republic”, which alludes to Revelation 14:19 – 20. Rose of
Sharon’s name alludes to a flower mentioned in the Bible
(Song of Solomon 2). What seems to be Steinbeck’s view of
religion as seen in this novel?
Early in the novel, in chapter 4, Casy pronounces:
“There ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue. There’s just stuff people
do. It’s all part of the same thing. And some of the things folks do is
nice, and some ain’t nice, but that’s as far as any man got a right to
say…What’s this call, this sperit? An’ I says, It’s love.”
How did you respond to Casy’s form of religion?
Who does Steinbeck judge in the novel – Tom’s murder or the
banks? Why?
3. Did the characterization of the Joads seem realistic?
Steinbeck has been criticized for portraying archetypal or epic
characters who do not seem real – do you agree? If the
characters of Tom, Ma, Rosasharn, Al, Granpa, Rosasharn
did represent some ideal beyond themselves, what would that
ideal be?
4. In chapter 8, Tom finds his family and his mother expresses
her fear that prison made him “poisoned mad.” She asks
Tom, “You ain’t poisoned mad? You don’t hate nobody?
They didn’ do nothin’ in that jail to rot you out with crazy
mad?” Tom responds, “I was for a little while. But I ain’t
proud like some fellas. I let stuff run of’n me.” What does
Tom mean by “proud”? Do you agree that he lets “stuff run
of’n” him? A little later, Ma tells Tom why they are moving
and then suggests, in response to the banks and big farms, “If
we was all mad the same way, Tommy – they wouldn’t hunt
nobody down.” How does she distinguish between the two
types of “mad”?
5. How is the emotion of “pride” portrayed in this novel? When
first published, residents of Oklahoma and California were
upset about how they were represented in this novel. How
would the Joads react to this criticism? Muley refuses to leave
his home due to pride, let lives like a wild animal, and Tom
believes he survived prison due to his lack of pride, yet our
first impression of him in chapter 2 implies he has a lot of
pride. Which characters seemed to have the most pride? Does
their pride hinder or help them?
6. This novel has been criticized for being overly sentimental.
Merriam – Webster’s on-line dictionary defines “sentimental”
as “1 a : marked or governed by feeling, sensibility, or
emotional idealism b : resulting from feeling rather than reason
or thought.” Does Steinbeck seem to sacrifice reason for
emotion? Did this affect your enjoyment of the novel?
7. A great sense of community runs throughout this novel.
Keeping the family together has great significance for Ma in
particular, and their best situation seems to be at the
Weedpatch camp, which is run by the community. Does the
situation at Weedpatch seem realistic or overly sentimental?
8. What seems to be Muley Graves’ role? What does he
symbolize in the novel?
9. At the end of chapter 1, the narrator states “Women and
children knew deep in themselves that no misfortune was too
great to bear if their men were whole” yet as the novel
progresses, Ma becomes the head of the family, supplanting
Pa’s authority. Eventually she tells Pa,
“Woman can change better’n a man…Woman got all her life in her arms. Man got it
all in his head …Man, he lives in jerks – baby born an’ a man dies, an’ that’s a jerk –
gets a farm an’ loses his farm, an’ that’s a jerk. Woman, it’s all one flow, like a
stream, little eddies, little waterfalls, but the river, it goes right on. Woman looks at it
like that.”
Do you agree with Ma’s assessment of the differences between
the genders? Why do you think Steinbeck puts Ma in “charge”
by the end?
10. Steinbeck changes the point of view of the narration throughout
the story. At times it feels “omniscient” (all-knowing), looking down
on the events from a great distance, and at other times it is intimately
limited to the Joads. How did the changing narration affect your
impressions of the novel? If you didn’t notice the shift in narration
at the time, now looking back at the sections you enjoyed or disliked,
did the narration affect your enjoyment subconsciously?
11. Notice the following description of “Okies” in chapter 18:
“Okie use’ ta mean you was from Oklahoma. Now it means you’re a dirty
son-of-a-bitch. Okie means you’re scum. Don’t mean nothing itself, it’s the
way they say it…”
“Them gooddamn 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.”
What is it in human nature that allows us to objective others?
What motivates this tendency? How can it be avoided?
12. Throughout the novel, the land seems equally significant to
the characters and the plot. Steinbeck’s descriptions of
Oklahoma and California are powerful. Here are two examples:
“To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma, the last rains
came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth. The plows crossed and
recrossed the rivulet marks. The last rains lifted the corn quickly and
scattered weed colonies and grass along the sides of the roads so that the
gray country and the dark red country began to disappear under a green
cover. In the last part of May the sky drew pale and the clouds that had hung
in high puffs for so long in the spring were dissipated. The sun flared down
on the growing corn day after day until a line of brown spread along the edge
of each green bayonet. The clouds appeared, and went away, and in a while
they did not try any more.” (chapter 1)
“The spring is beautiful in California. Valleys in which the fruit blossoms are
fragrant pink and white waters in a shallow sea. Then the first tendrils of the
grapes, swelling from the old gnarled vines, cascade down to cover the
trunks. The full green hills are round and soft as breasts. And on the level
vegetable lands are the mile-long rows of pale green lettuce and the spindly
little cauliflowers, the gray-green unearthly artichoke plants…And then the
leaves break out on the trees, and the petals drop from the fruit trees and
carpet the earth with pink and white. The centers of the blossoms swell and
grow and color: cherries and apples, peaches and pears, figs which close the
flower in the fruit. All California quickens with produce, and the fruit grows
heavy, and the limbs bend gradually under the fruit so that little crutches
must be placed under them to support the weight…The year is heavy with
produce. And men are proud, for of their knowledge they can make the year
heavy. They have transformed the world with their knowledge…” (chapter
25).
What does the land represent to Steinbeck?
13. The ending of the novel was deemed too controversial to be
included in the 1940 version of the film. Respond to the
ending – symbolically and personally.
Wrap-up Questions…
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Which character did you like / dislike the most?
Which character did you relate to the most?
Would you recommend the book?
If you could change anything, what would it be?
Do you believe this should be considered a classic?
What adjective comes to mind when you reflect on the novel?
The Grapes of Wrath – the film
At least two film versions have been made of The Grapes of Wrath, including
an award-winning version in 1940 starring Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell. The
film was one of the first to be included in the National Film Registry, was
ranked #7 on the AFI’s Most Inspiring Movies of All Time, and ranks #23 on
the AFI’s Greatest Movies of All Time. Your group could watch this version
of the movie together and discuss your impressions, or group members could
watch the film before the meeting and then discuss impressions as a group.
Time permitting, multiple versions could be viewed and then compared. Here
are a few possible movie questions:
While viewing the movie, which characters were most unlike how
you pictured them while reading the novel?
Which characters seemed “right on” in their portrayal?
What plot elements were left out or changed in the movie?
How was your enjoyment affected by what was left out/changed?
If this movie were remade today, who would you cast as Tom Joad?
Ma? Al?
What would be a contemporary political issue that might merit a
novel/film of this magnitude?
The 1940 version, starring Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell, won two
Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress and Best Director and
was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Editing, Best
Sound, and Best Screenplay. Do you believe these awards and
nominations were justified? Which awards and nominations seemed
best earned or least earned?
More information on the film(s):
1940 version:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032551/
(Be sure to check out the trivia section!)
1991 version:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101971/