Grapes+of+Wrath

= = = //Grapes of Wrath// =  By [|John Steinbeck] 455 Pages Genre: Realistic Fiction //Wiki by: Tyler McClelland // 



**About the Author:**

John Steinbeck Jr. was born in Salinas, California on February 27, 1902. John became a fan of writing from his mother, Olive Steinbeck, who was a school teacher. Steinbeck enjoys writing about the life during the depression and dust bowl. He learned about life on a ranch from working long hours during the summer to raise money. This is how he gained wisdom and experience to successfully write about this topic. Steinbeck attended Stanford University but received poor grades because he worked a couple of jobs during school. He later dropped out in 1925 to start his career of being an author. After a rough start in New York, John returned to California where he was more successful in his writing. In 1935 Steinbeck's career took a huge step when he wrote //Tortilla Flat.// After gaining confidence, John wrote his most popular book //Grapes of Wrath// in 1939. In 1962, Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, which is a great honor. John died in New York on December 20, 1968.

**Plot Synopsis:**

Tom Joad is a man who has recently been released from jail and is looking for a fresh start. He lives in the heart of the depression and dust bowl in Oklahoma. A major drought causes many farmers and their families to migrate to California in hope of a better life. Some are skeptical that California might not be any better though. There are many dangerous challenges along the way in this book about hope and Joad and his family must confront these. Joad must decide how long he would go to be successful and if its worth it to risk his own and families safety. As he travels on his journey you can't help but sympathize for Joad during his challenges and feel happy when things are looking better. To figure out if he survives his journey and makes it to the powerful state of California, you must read this inspiring book.

**Literary Information:**

//Grapes of Wrath// is written in a third person omniscient POV because the narrator tells you the story with all of the information. He chose to write it like this so that the reader can know what is going on in the family. This helps because if it was first person POV the reader would not understand what was going on. //Grapes of Wrath// is in the Realistic Fiction genre because even though it is fake, many families went through this during the depression and dust bowl.

**Literary Analysis:**

//Grapes of Wrath// is written with a formal diction and neutral diction. Steinbeck uses very formal diction while narrating the story and describing the setting. However, when the characters talk, they use a neutral diction because they are not very educated. They use a huge southern dialect during the story. This really helps the reader adjust to the time period and understand the setting. While reading the story, the reader knows where it takes place without even him saying it is in the south. John uses his mournful but also hopeful tone to help the story develop. This tone helps the reader know how to feel while reading this story and what it was really like in the dust bowl and depression. Steinbeck used these key aspects to help him build his setting and make his successful.

**Criticism:**

I believe that this story was good but not my style. It was very deep and interesting, but it is very long and slow. Many readers would enjoy this book but I personally didn't because I like faster moving books. I respect this book very much though because of its great popularity and how it is written. I would rate it a 5 out of 10 but that is only because of personal reading style. I strongly recommend for strong readers because it is classic and very historic. If you are into the depression or dust bowl you would really enjoy this book.

**If you enjoyed my page, check out these similar wikis or similar books by John Steinbeck:** [|Of Mice and Men] or 1984 or [|Tortilla Flat]

Information on John Steinbeck: [] Picture of Steinbeck: [] Picture of Book: []

-Upton Sinclair
 * "Steinbeck is a poet... Everything is real, everything is perfect."**