Character Development
She goes from a very sweet, calm woman to the strong, determined head of the family.
What does the rain flooding the boxcar in chapter 30 symbolize?
The issues migrant workers had to deal with
How is the theme of loss developed in the story?
Loss starts with their farm, their belongings, then their family and friends. Lastly, they lose jobs and shelter, but not their humanity.
What are the two author's purposes we looked at?
1. To show the life of migrants through literature
2. To show that the American Dream is not easy to achieve
Define "Okies"
A discriminatory term for migrants from the midwest
How does Rose of Sharon's character change?
She goes from a young woman who gets help from her family to a giving motherly figure.
How does symbolism appear in the text?
Turtle- symbolizes perseverance through hardships of migration.
Ma's stew- symbolizes community kindness, poverty, and desperation in the Hoovervilles.
The Banks as a Monster- symbolizes the corruption of the system and the unfair struggles the poor face.
How does the theme of discrimination appear in the book?
"Okies"
"Go back where you came from"
Dehumanization of them
Worker exploitation
How do Grampa and Gramma's deaths show the author's purpose of demonstrating the hardships migrants endured?
Their deaths are from lack of protection from the heat, not having enough money for proper nutrition, and living in the car.
What does destitute mean?
without the basic life necessities
From the beginning of the book to the end, does Joad's character change?
Joad changes in that he becomes more of a worker's rights advocate. However, his personality stays aggressive, rebellious, kind, and well mannered.
What literary devices are present in the final scene of the book?
Juxtaposition- kind act in a moment of despair
Situational irony- the girl always cared for is taking care of another
Allegory- Rose of Sharon as a Madonna figure
Symbolism- Madonna symbolism
How does the theme of family unity change over time?
It starts off with their determination to thrive. When family members leave, it weakens momentarily, but intensifies as they rely on each other. In the end they stay together despite a hopeless situation.
How is the author's purpose of showing that the American Dream is difficult to achieve shown when the Joads are in California (section 4)?
The discrimination, worker exploitation, poor living conditions in the Hoovervilles, and the Joads' failure to succeed in the end.
Define "agitate"
to stir up emotions or create trouble
How does Granpa's death contribute to the character development of others?
Ma steps up as the head of the family.
Pa weakens in mourning.
Tom Joad becomes more committed to helping his Ma.
Explain what literary device was it when the migrants went to the store on Route 66 and it sold everything they could think of?
Situational irony because the items they needed/wanted were there, but they could not afford them.
How does the theme of worker exploitation stem from discrimination?
The migrants are discriminated against because they are from someplace else and are of a different social class. This easily turns into worker exploitation as their vulnerable state is abused to enrich the farm owners.
How does chapter 30 show the author's purpose that the American Dream is difficult to achieve?
Their failure to succeed and their hope in unity among humans
Define "Tumultuous" and use it to accurately describe something or someone from the book
noisy, chaotic, and full of confusion
Casey starts off as a kind, confused man and he ends up very devoted to the worker's rights cause that causes his death.
Why would the author include so much imagery in the story? How does it help him execute the author's purpose?
The imagery allows there to be many details that paint a clear picture of the migrants' struggles, which leads to his criticism of the attainability of the American Dream.
How does the theme of community develop over the course of the text?
Community originally takes the form of family, then the migrants, then the migrant workers, and finally to human being supporting one another regardless of the situation.
What themes in the novel demonstrate the author's purpose that the American Dream can be difficult to achieve and what specific events prove this?
Discrimination
Migrant Unity
Worker Exploitation
Define "denounce" and use it to accurately describe someone or something from the book.
worker exploitation