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The Grapes of Wrath Sums up the Great Depression Perfectly! Here's Why

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Larson
The Grapes of Wrath Sums up the Great Depression Perfectly! Here's Why

Deemed as the worst of its kind, the Great Depression marked the downfall of many families, job holders, and creative prodigies who earned their bread and butter through their words and brush strokes. Starting from 1929, the Great Depression was an economic downfall that plagued the world for almost ten years after the stock markets crashed in October 1929.


Although its tenure ended in 1938, unemployment and inflation still peaked in 1940, and that is when the Second World War began. The interconnected localized financial troubles of the US soon spread to the international economy. The hardships did not end there; a severe drought and poor farming practices also caused distress and a declining economic outlook where personal or business bankruptcy had become routine.


The devastating effects influenced the trajectory of culture, politics, and literature. While political leaders took advantage of the public and economic unrest, authors became the voice of the affected through their stories. A great example would be "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, which perfectly depicts people's undying spirit for survival, even in the face of insurmountable adversaries.


Let's summarize the book's core message and how it became a symbolic summation of the dreadful period people faced during the Great Depression.


The Central Plot of "The Grapes of Wrath"

Being honored with the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, The Grapes of Wrath played a prominent role in its author, John Steinbeck's journey to receive the Nobel Prize in 1962.


The novel narrates the story of the Joad family and their struggles through the great depression. Residing in Oklahoma for a long time, the Joads are forced to leave their homes and farms due to the recurring environmental mayhem, dust bowls, and economic despair like other Okies.


With no homes to return to and no farms to look after, the Joads embark on the grueling journey along the Route 66 highway, hoping to find new opportunities in California, famous for its overflowing opportunities then.


But as they arrive in the city, their hope is crushed entirely, and instead of hopes for a better future, they are only met with disdain, conflict, and exploitation. They are stuck in a system where the powerful are rigging the poor working class, taking a toll on their motivation and will to live.


The Symbolism Behind the Story, Characters, and the Title

Steinbeck has masterfully weaved emotions in every aspect of Joad's familial story, involving the social and economic drawbacks and the harsh realities they faced during their migration in hopes of a better tomorrow. It describes how, as a fellow immigrant, it is hard to see your dreams sour one by one with no sign of hope for the future.


He used the book to highlight the uprising, desperation, and collective hardships that countless families faced during the Great Depression.


The Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck is a cultural outcry of the immeasurable suffering of the working class and the immigrants, the most affected group during the Great Depression. The economic downfall gave birth to many new authors, genres, and characters, which you can learn about in Chiaretto Calò's new literary encyclopedia, The Library of Humanity: The Most Influential Books of all Time, now live on Amazon.


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