Grapes of Wrath

So , i finally have got round to doing my blog on Steinbeck's work...!

The first thing to notice is that the novel is set in the great depression and thus instantly the reader can identify with character in the novel what with these harsh economic times at present!!

The novel is centered around a family of sharecroppers (The Joads) who are forced out of their homes in Oklahoma by a water drought and changes in the agriculture industry. They are in an extremely desperate situation and face an uphill struggle in their attempts to find jobs when they set out for Salinas Valley in California.

The novel at the time of its publishing was immediately banned and was extremely controversial.

Bryan Cordyack (author of 20th century american bestsellers) writes, "Steinbeck was attacked as a propagandist and a socialist from both the left and the right of the political spectrum. The most fervent of these attacks came from the Associated Farmers of California; they were displeased with the book's depiction of California farmers' attitudes and conduct toward the migrants. They denounced the book as a 'pack of lies' and labeled it 'communist propaganda'."

Steinbeck's emotion's are evident throughout the novel and i felt he connected well with the reader. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, as if i'm totally honest i wasn't aware of the details of the great depression and have found watching the film and reading the novel a benefiting experience.

I now look forward to next term's studies..