Chapter 15

Steinbeck uses this chapter as a descriptive chapter. This is because we get to see, through steinbecks description, what the gas stations and restaurants that were on the road to California had to deal with. The employees of these establishments seemed puzzled because of the amount of people that they saw heading west. They were also wanted answers to questions such as, where they come from, and why they are heading west, simply because they had never seen anything like that before. This chapter also gave us a clue as to how people acted and reacted toward the traveling families, through the eyes of the waitress, the cook, and the truck drivers. Toward the end of the chapter we see how a man would like to buy a loaf of bread, for his family, under the normal price, which gives us an idea of how poor these families were and how much they were struggling on this long journey to California.

Chapter 9

     Chapter 9 gives us an example of what is was like for the farmers who had to leave everything behind and start a "new life" in California. The farmers plan to move on and go to California to start their new lives, but then they realize that there are no restart buttons in life. The past will always be apart of them and they can either try to forget it or accept it. In addition it talks about how difficult it was for them to sell their belongings because to them they weren't just objects in their lives, they had a story and meaning behind them. Then it states, "This land, this red land, is us; and the flood years and the dust years and the drought years are us." The farmers put so much time and effort into their land; generation upon generation grew up on that land and they probably planned to keep it for their children's children and so on. They went through so much there and now the banks are taking it away and there's nothing they can do about it. Later on in the novel it says "And some day- the armies of bitterness will all be going the same way. And they'll all walk together, and there'll be a dead terror from it." Is this some form of foreshadowing what will happen later on in the book or is this just a dream statement?

Chapters 20 and 21

       It was rather interesting on why Steinbeck choose the title "Grapes of Wrath". At one point of the story the grandfather mentioned eating grapes when they get to California. However once the family gets there we find out that the people of California, such as the cops, don't want the Okies in there state. In previous chapters we know that those people what to do anything to get rid of all the Okies, which in a way shows their wrath. Since the people of California own the land where they grow the fruit such as the grapes it makes sense why the story is titled " Grapes of Wrath". It called that way because the grapes belong to the wrath of the people of Califorina.

Chapter 25

Chapter 25 is much similar to chapter 1 because it relates to nature and the effects that nature has on society and the world. Also, these chapters relate that  there is no set back to great that can not keep the men remained as an "entire". Furthermore, this chapters promotes a much more broad form of decay through objects and people. This chapter describes the truth behind capitalism and in which store prices would plummet if the homeless people were fed, but must there be money made?

Chapter 5

"But where does it stop? Who can we shoot? I don't aim to starve to death before I kill the man that's starving me." (pg. 38)

This is a quote said by one of the farmers talking to a bank worker who explained that they had been kicked out due to the bank taking their land back.  This conflict poses a plausible question of who does the problem lie with, man v. man or individual v. society.  With this quote the farmer is consumed in frustration that he does not get the big picture. That picture being no matter who you kill that law will still be enforced, the rules will still be instituted.  The physical conflict may lie with man v. man, but the initial over all conflict is with individual v. society. 

Chapter 2

The truck drivers characterization of Tom Joad had varied throughout the whole ride.  From the beginning the truck driver had known that Tom had just got out of prison, but since he agreed to give Tom a ride he must of thought that he was harmless.  However, little things throughout the ride gave the truck driver a suspicion that Tom could've of been in jail for being aggressive.  For example, how he noticed that Toms hands looked like that of one who had been put through labor.  Another example is when Tom started drinking and revealing more about himself.  When Tom started talking openly the truck driver knew Tom was someone not to be messed with and therefore did not ask him any more questions.  When Tom told him how he'd been in prison was when the truck driver became defensive and feared that Tom could be threatening.  By the end of the ride the truck driver said nothing more about the matter and decided not to interfere in fear of Tom Joad. But I wondered why the truck driver gave Tom a ride in the first place, taking a risk knowing that Tom was just released from prison.

Chapter 12

Chapter 12 begins with Highway 66 and how thousands of families are traveling on it to get to a land where success and prosperity are available. Highway 66 unifies the diverse landscape of the U.S., just as it gives the fleeing migrants some solidarity in their hardships.This highway sumbolizes unity and a road to success or the awful outcome of obstacles families like the Joad's have to face. Since this highway was described in the first paragraph of the chapter, I assume no one pays any attention to it but I would like to know if anyone had any ideas why there was such emphasis on Highway 66. Steinbeck always begins every chapter with a description of the setting and their importance.