A Favorite Novel the Grapes of Wrath

I have been an avid reader since early childhood. I decided I wanted to read "The Grapes of Wrath" when I was 12 years old. I have read thousands of books since the first time I read John Steinbeck's 1939 novel. The story affected me so profoundly that I have it on my list of favorite books I have read. I rarely read a book twice because there are so many for me to read. I've read this timeless novel twice.

I was one of those students that balked against having a teacher 'force' us to read a certain book. I'm so glad that this was one that I picked up on my own. I was able to soak it in at my own pace. There is a lot to take in when reading this story about the unforgettable Joad family who lived during the Depression era. A farming family, the Joad's experienced great loss during the Oklahoma Dust Bowl days. The weather bred dust storms rather than life giving rain which destroyed the potential of any crop. The book opens when Tom Joad, son of Ma and Pa, is released from prison after serving four years for manslaughter. He is hitchhiking to get home to the 40-acre farm where he intends to continue on with life. He meets up with ex-preacher Jim Casy and they travel together, only to find the abandoned farm of his ancestors. He is informed that the bank has taken possession of most of the farms in the area including the Joad farm.

Tom finds the family at his uncle's home and learns of the plan to move onward toward the "promised land" California and the dream of jobs for all. Three generations, Tom's siblings, parents and grandparents are to travel together. Granpa Joad does not want to leave the his land, his home. At Tom's suggestion they get Granpa drunk so they can load him into the truck. The family including his pregnant sister, Rose of Sharon, are then able to take off on the journey. The family that had lost their farm had now joined the migration of misplaced "Okies" who wended their way to California in search of jobs. The beauty of Steinbeck's words describes the land, the people and exudes a feeling of desperate hope.

As a relatively financially poor 12-year-old kid I could visualize the desperation of Pa Joad and his belief in an opportunity in another place. The family endured the loss of the farm and, all too soon, the loss of a loved one. The family members either begin to break down or grow stronger as the journey continues and life becomes harder. Ma Joad becomes the strength, the matriarch and heart of the family. She keeps them going, never giving up as tragedy comes in waves over them. The journey brings new people into the lives of the Joad family. It also brings many challenges. The family settles for a time into a government run camp, "Weedpatch Camp" which is based on the real Arvin Federal Government Camp in Bakersfield, California. Steinbeck weaves this family into the the true history of the mass migration of displaced people of the 1930's. Tom Joad is the major character of the book. He learns to restrain his temper which has caused him to act before thinking. Casy is the thread of faith and fervor throughout the book. And Ma, the pillar of strength. Even Rose of Sharon, the vain immature wife and mother-to-be shows an unexpected strength.

Today as families are forced to leave their homes due to the economy, bad weather influences crops and migrants still search for a place to live and work, it may be time for me to pick up that book again. I may see I still have more to learn from the rich creative mind of John Steinbeck. If you haven't read "The Grapes of Wrath," I challenge you to.