THE GRAPES OF WRATH

CHAPTERS 29-30Sarah, Yumna, Anisha, Alice

Period 4

PLOT ADVANCEMENT The rain still continues to poor down and there is no

sign of clearing. Rose of Sharon goes into labor and she is sick and

feverish The truck has flooded and there is no choice but to

remain in the box car. The men work to build a makeshift dam so they can

keep the water from flooding the shelter. Even with the damn an uprooted tree crashes into

the dam and destroys it Mrs. Wainwright informs Pa Joad that Rose of Sharon

delivered a stillborn baby after he enters the car Uncle John buries the child and places the

improvised coffin in the stream.

PLOT ADVANCEMENT (CONTINUED)

Pa Joad spends the remaining money on food. The rain has been pouring for six days in a row and

Ma decides that the family should look for dry ground.

Al stays with the Wainwrights and Agnes while the rest of the family travel on foot to find dry land.

The Joads find a small barn, and in the barn they spot a dying man and small boy.

The boys father has not eaten in six days because he gave all his food to the son.

The boys father has become so bad that he can eat soup or milk.

Rose of Sharon holds the man close and suckles him despite his protests.

EMERSON’S OVER-SOUL Over-soul is a concept about human

beings being bound to each other spiritually. The soul of every individual is a tiny little piece of a much bigger soul. We are all members of one big human family. Therefore, we become responsible for what happens to our neighbors and the whole society.

EMERSON’S OVER-SOUL (CONTINUED)

- The Grapes of Wrath chronicles the story of two “families”: the Joads and the collective body of migrant workers.

-Although the Joads are joined by blood, the novel argues that it is not their genetics but instead their loyalty and commitment to one another that establishes their true kinship. Which shows their relationship among each other is really close.

-Nearly the end, the two groups merge into one, sharing one another’s hardships and committing to one another’s survival.

- Eventually Tom realizes, “his” people are all people.

EMERSON’S OVER-SOUL (CONTINUED)

- The conflict in the novel between the impoverished migrants and the established, secure business people and Californians serves as strong criticism of economic injustice.

- The migrants’ agrarian way of life has all but disappeared, threatened not only by nature’s drought and dust storms, but also by big farms and financial establishments, called “Bank”.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Pa: -Returns to the boxcar because of the floods - Buys bread and Bacon Ma: -Still wants the family to stay together but it continues to disintegrate -Sees a barn -comes to realize that there's more things important then family=she

believes now that whom ever needs help is more important Rose of Sharon: -Becomes really sick -Goes in labor=her baby is stillborn -Gives milk to the sick man in the barn because he can not digest

solids Al: -Separated from the family Uncle John: -Buries Rose of Sharon's stillborn child

INTERCALARY CHAPTER(CHAPTER 29) Rains come and turns the land into lakes

and streams Migrant workers helplessly watch Cannot get government relief Men are forced to steal food Many people are dying and becoming

sick Fear turns to anger

THE NEED FOR COMPASSION AND JUSTICE FOR THE OPPRESSED - The Joads experience many hardships, deprivations,

and deaths, and at the end of the novel are barely surviving. Nevertheless, the mood of the novel is optimistic.

-This positive feeling is derived from the growth of the Joad family as they begin to realize a larger group consciousness at the end of the novel.

-The development of this theme can be seen particularly in Ma Joad, from her focus on keeping the family together to her recognition of the necessity of identifying with the group.

- The workers at the Weedpatch camp govern themselves according to their own rules and share tasks in accordance with notions of fairness and equality rather than power-hungry ambition or love of authority.

THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIETY - The tenant farmers rely on growing

methods of bygone days. Because machines can make land profitable, landowning banks send in tractors and dozers.

- Machine drivers lose touch with the soil; in effect, they become nonhuman pieces of equipment.

THE REALIZATION THAT CHANGE IS PART OF THE HUMAN CONDITION Through out the novel we've seen Rose

of Sharon as a naïve self-centered girl. However with the death of her baby we can see her as a mature individual.

Rose of Sharon has transferred into a figure of maternal love especially when the dying man was laying on her lap and she was sucking him.

We can now see her as an image of generosity which she had lacked before.

THE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE A COMMON GOAL Chapter 29: Even though the men are forced to beg

for food and become angry the women really know that the men will remain strong as long as they don't become angry=women have hope in the men

"women and children knew deep in themselves that no misfortune was too great to bear if their men where whole"=no matter what the women watch over the men to see if the break has yet to come

THE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE A COMMON GOAL (CONTINUED)

Chapter 30: Ma finds a barn and inside the barn their is a boy who

tells ma/the Joan family that his father is starving and that "he ain't et for six days"

Because Rose of Sharon is in labor, Pa tells the men that they should build a damn to protect her while in labor....sadly the dam breaks due to a fall of a tree

Because of the rain the family is forced to find dry land....Uncle John and Ma carry people on their backs

Even though Rose of Sharon had a dream of having her own place with her baby she later learns that being in labor had saved the sick mans life because of producing milk=she found her womanhood

Everyone comes to realize that "they" all need each others help regardless of who he/she is

THE NEED TO SHARE WHAT WE HAVE WITH OTHERS, ESPECIALLY THE POOR

Wainwrights support the Joads to build an embankment

Help the Joads talk to the other men Mrs. Wainwright helps Rose of Sharon

deliver her baby The other men help Pa build the dam

even though they could leave for their own safety

All the men use their strength to work even though there is a downpour