# data[].attributes.body
John Steinbeck (born February 27, 1902, Salinas, California, U.S.—died December 20, 1968, New York, New York) was an American novelist. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception". He has been called "a giant of American letters." Steinbeck's most famous work was The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath following the end of the Great Depression to sum up the bitterness of the Great Depression decade and arouse widespread sympathy for the plight of migratory farmworkers.

# data[].attributes.body
The artwork "Perseverance" by Linda Carmel accurately represents the themes of perseverance and resilience shown throughout the book. The Joads constantly move to find work and a place to stay while trying to survive. They, however, never stop and accept their fate. From the Colorado River to the Hoovervilles, the Joads never stop despite leaving family members behind. They keep their heads lifted high and continue forward until they reach their dreams of having a house in California. The artwork represents these themes through the woman pushing the earth up the hill. The woman pushing the earth connects to the Joads because it's like the world is against them. In the artwork, however, the woman isn't sitting on the side and letting the world run her over. She is pushing through the hardships of pushing the world and not giving up.

# data[].attributes.body
Honestly, I thought this book was about to be one of the most boring books I've ever read. It proved me very wrong, however. The book began with Tom Joad hitchhiking, and that's when I thought the book would be about a man who lived through the Dust Bowl migration and another story of someone's "adventurous" and "difficult" life. It turned out to be much more than that. The story truly portrayed the hardships of a family moving through the Dust Bowl migration in search of work and trying to find a stable place to live. The trip from Oklahoma to California consisted of many challenges, from the car breaking down to family members leaving. This book truly opened my eyes to a topic that I had honestly overlooked in my APUSH class. It allowed me to feel as if I was living in the situation the Joads were in themselves and introduced me to several aspects that I had not noted before, such as a first-hand experience in a Hooverville or how it was working for extremely low wages in order to barely survive.

# data[].attributes.body
Two of the big themes that I identified were perseverance and family. Perseverance was illustrated through the family's dedication to achieving their dreams. They continued their journey to find good jobs and a suitable place to stay. No matter the discrimination that the Joads faced, such as being called "Okies," they never stopped and felt bad for themselves but rather continued their journey. Another big theme I saw in the book was family. Specifically for Ma, Family was the biggest thing. Ma always looked out for everyone. She took great care of Granma when she was sick, and fanning her in the cave reflects her devotion and values for the family. She also cares for Rose of Sharon, Ruthie, and Winfield aswell. Overall, she embodies the theme of family that bleeds out through the whole story. Her influence and care for others is part of the reason that the inner core of the family stayed together and was able to stay resilient throughout the story.

# data[].attributes.body
The first good discussion we had was about how John Steinbeck uses flashbacks to explain things in the book. He often uses chapters that use no names of characters, and no quotes. We discussed and claimed that they work as almost flashbacks, that explain things in the book, and tell you what the families are doing, without directly naming them.

Our second good discussion was why it was so important for the family, to bring the Preacher with them. Even though Jim Casy claimed that he wasn't a preacher anymore, the whole family wanted him to come with them, because it was important to have a preacher with them and to be close with the lord on their journey. They knew that in their hard times, he would bring good advice, and would be important to them.

# data[].attributes.body
Tom is a strong, smart, and humble man. Even though he is not a elder of the family, he is one of the leader and decision makers throughout the book.

“But now I been thinkin' what he said, an' I can remember—all of it. Says one time he went out in the wilderness to find his own soul, an' he foun' he didn' have no soul that was his'n. Says he foun' he jus' got a little piece of a great big soul. Says a wilderness ain't no good, 'cause his little piece of a soul wasn't no good 'less it was with the rest, an' was whole. Funny how I remember. Didn' think I was even listenin'. But I know now a fella ain't no good alone.”

# data[].attributes.body
Ma is the main decision maker and problem solver of the family. Everyone looks up to her to solve the family's problems.

“It ain't kin we? It's will we?” …As far as ‘kin,’ we can’t do nothin’, not go to California or nothin’; but as far as ‘will,’ why, we’ll do what we will. An’ as far as ‘will’—it’s a long time our folks been here and east before, an' I never heerd tell of no Joads or no Hazletts, neither, ever refusin’ food an’ shelter or a lift on the road to anybody that asked. They’s been mean Joads, but never that mean.”

# data[].attributes.body
Pa is the head of the family on the outside. He is very easygoing, and a man of reason. He is a hard worker to provide for his family.

"Sometimes a fella got to sift the law. I’m sayin’ now I got the right to bury my own pa. Anybody got somepin to say?"

# data[].attributes.body
Jim Casy is a selfless man who helped the family throughout their journey. He is a ex-preacher who now puts his faith in human spirit.
“I says, ‘Maybe it ain't a sin. Maybe it's just the way folks is. Maybe we been whippin’ the hell out of ourselves for nothin’.’…Before I knowed it, I was sayin’ out loud, ‘The hell with it! 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.’”

# data[].attributes.body
Rose Of Sharon is the oldest Joad sister. She falls victim to superstitious concerns with her unborn baby.

“They's a time of change, an' when that comes, dyin' is a piece of all dyin', and bearin' is a piece of all bearin', an bearin' an' dyin' is two pieces of the same thing. An' then things ain't lonely any more. An' then a hurt don't hurt so bad, cause it ain't a lonely hurt no more, Rosasharn. I wisht I could tell you so you'd know, but I can't.”

# data[].attributes.body
Al is a cocky, and boisterous boy. He is a very competent mechanic, that helped the family navigate their journey with their car. He idolizes Tom throughout the story.

"And randy Al, seeing he was being noticed, threw back his shoulders, and he came into the yard with a swaying strut like that of a rooster about to crow. Cockily, he walked close before he recognized Tom; and when he did, his boasting face changed, and admiration and veneration shone in his eyes, and his swagger fell away."

# data[].attributes.body
The picture shows the banks evicting the farmers causing them to migrate to California

# data[].attributes.body
The picture shows the dust storm in the first chapter leaving the farmers observing their dying crops.

# data[].attributes.body
The picture shows the colonies of farmers that collected on the side of the highway.

# data[].attributes.body
Going all the way back to the book tasting, I had a feeling it was going to be a good book. Turns out, I was right. Although it started off a bit slow which isn't necessarily to my liking, once Joad and the family got more depth it began to get entertaining fast. The way Steinbeck tells stories really makes you feel the hardships of the family which makes it that much more engaging which I liked.

# data[].attributes.body
When we first started the book. I thought I wasn't going to like it. I thought it was going to be very slow, and boring because the first two chapters didn't explain much about the book. As I kept reading the book though, I really started to enjoy it. You got hooked to the Joad, family, and almost felt as if you were with them on their journey. Not only was it a good story, but it also taught us about the history of our country and our state.

# data[].attributes.body
Chapter 1: Although it's just the very beginning of the book, chapter one is incredibly significant as it sets the scene for the novel as we find ourselves in the Dust Bowl. The destruction of the land really underscores the economic chrisis the family finds themselves in, establishes a backdrop for other characters throughout the novel, and provides the catalyst that sets the family forward.

Chapter 22: In this chapter, the Joad family arrives at a government camp, which juxtaposes the long-lasting theme of struggle and chaos prevalent in the whole novel. There is a theme of unity as well, as the camp is a place of community and friendly interaction between families, strongly contrasting the untrustworthiness shown throughout the book, and providing a brief respite for the Joad family.

Chapter 30: The final chapter of the book, where Rose of Sharon's baby miscarriages. It sets an incredibly troubling and despairing tone, yet, hope and perseverance as well. Rose of Sharon, in spite of the loss of her child, breastfeeds a starving man, showing how people can unite and become interconnected during times of shared struggle. Such an act of selflessness highlights the resilience of the Joad family.

# data[].attributes.body
In all honesty, I found the book very boring. I understand why the writing was the way it was, where it was literally how people spoke during the time of the Dust Bowl, but it got quite old very quickly; I did begin to feel for the characters, although I was still a little bit disturbed by the graphic deaths within the story, which, I suppose, were necessary to furthering themes and realistic hardships of families during the times. I have enjoyed reading Steinbeck's books before, and the way he breathes life into his characters and writing stays true to every one of his works. I was happy that I chose this book, though, as it truly enlightened me and illustrated the intricacies of the human experience.

# data[].attributes.body
From the first chapter, I knew this book was going to be a special read. Through the nuanced perspectives and truly immaculate writing style of Steinbeck, the Grapes of Wrath fascinating. Though the story had a slow pace from the start, I was glued to the sheets of wrath. What really grew from a slow paced boring book, came to a fabulous masterpiece of a story.