Men Character Study Essay, Research Paper
The American Novelist, John Steinbeck was a powerful writer of dramatic stories about good versus bad. His own views on writing were that not only should a writer make the story sound good but also the story written should teach a lesson. In fact, Steinbeck focused many of his novels, not on average literary themes rather he tended to relay messages about the many hard truths of life in The United States. Upon winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962 the Swedish academy introduced him by saying “He had no mind to be an unoffending comforter and entertainer. Instead, the topics he chose were serious and denunciatory?” This serious focus was not exempt from his two works “The Grapes of Wrath” and “Of Mice and Men”. “The Grapes of Wrath” has been recognized by many as “the greatest novel in American History” and it remains among the archetypes of American culture. Although “Of Mice and Men” may not have received as much fanfare as the other it is still a great classic that was recently made into a motion picture.
The focus of “The Grapes of Wrath” Is one family, the Joads, who has been kicked off their Oklahoma farm and forced to move to California to look for work. The story has historical significance as it is true that many families were forced, in the same way as the Joads, to leave their homes to look for work during the depression. It is in this fact that one can see how Steinbeck?s intention in “The grapes of Wrath” was to depict the hardships people went through during an actual event in American history. Perhaps the most solemn message in this novel was the poor treatment of the dispossessed families as they reached California. In “Of Mice and Men” the reader is presented with a story that takes place in the same setting of “The Grapes of Wrath” This story details the hardships of two traveling companions while they are working at a ranch in California.
The common thread between these two novels is not necessarily the plot or the setting rather, it is the way in which Steinbeck relays his message. That is to say that, although both novels carry different story lines they both portray hard truths about human suffering. Steinbeck reveals these truths through his depiction of characters. In each story it seems that the characters were crafted by Steinbeck in a bias manner so as to emphasize the overall message of the book. It is quite obvious that all of Steinbeck?s characters are either good or bad. Steinbeck himself said “as with all retold tales that are in people?s heart?s there are only good and bad things and black and white things and no in-between anywhere” In both novels the dispossessed characters are good and well intentioned and the wealthy people are brutal and mean. This of course is done to make the situation seem all that more hard on the dispossessed characters.
In “The Grapes of Wrath” the character of young Tom Joad is a prime example of how bias Steinbeck?s portrayal was. With a quick glance at the history of Tom?s life one would say that he is not really the good guy. Yet after reading “The Grapes of Wrath” the reader feels sorry for Tom and all of his faults are justified because of his situation. Likewise, the characters of Ma and the preacher, Jim Casey do not fit their traditional roles but, again, their actions are justified by Steinbeck. In the same way, the book “Of Mice and Men” portrays two men (Lennie and George) running from the law, looking for work. Lennie is a mentally handicap person who brings most of the trouble to the pair. Yet, despite all of his downsides the reader is made to feel sorry for him. George is portrayed in a good way until the end of the book where he kills Lennie, and even then the reader feels for George because of the predicament he is in. The rest of the characters in both novels are the rich and powerful. In “The grapes of Wrath” these rich people were not even given names and Steinbeck?s dislike for them is obvious. This fact truly illustrates the message he is trying to get across . In “Of mice and Men” the boss and his son Curley are portrayed as the bad guys.
Note:
This is only my introduction unfortunately due to some extenuating circumstances I have not had enough time to do a complete rough draft. My plan is to characterize the characters in light of Steinbeck?s bias portrayals and illustrate how the technique he used was effective in getting his point across. My next four points or paragraphs will be: 1.) Description of Tom Joad how he was bad yet good in the sense that his actions were bad but his cause was for the better.
2.) Description of Ma and the preacher, how they were characterized out of their traditional roles and how their straying form the norm was justified and helped relay to the reader the desperation of the family?s situation.
3.) The roles of Lennie and George, how they were outcasts and Lennie killed a women yet the reader felt sorry for them both because they were on the opposite side of a greater injustice.
4.) Portrait of the rich and powerful. How Steinbeck?s ignorance of not giving them names proved he did not like them. Every time they came up in the story they were doing something bad.
And my conclusion.
Hopefully I will get a chance to see you today, I have third period prep so I will look for you and we could chat. Thanx.
“The Grapes of Wrath”, “Of Mice and Men”
Character Study
Max Raffoul
ENG OAC
March 3, 1997
Mr. Chevallier
Другие работы по теме:
Themes In The Grapes Of Wrath Essay
, Research Paper Matthew Sinrod Dr. Doyle Eng 102 5/5/98 “Themes in “The Grapes of Wrath” John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California February 27th 1902. He was the third of four children and the only son of John Ernst Steinbeck II, manager of a flour mill, and Olive Hamilton Steinbeck, a former teacher. Steinbeck said of his youth, (”We were poor people with a hell of a lot of land which made us think we were rich people, even when we couldn’t buy food and were patched.”) Steinbeck used the area where he grew up as the setting for many of his stories.
The Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck
(1902 – 1968) Essay, Research Paper Perhaps Steinbeck’s most popular and true-to-life novel, The Grapes of Wrath exposes the grinding hardships of the “Okie” migrants. With brief
The Journey Theme Of Grapes Of Wrath
Essay, Research Paper The Journey Theme of The Grapes of Wrath In the Classic novel The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck displays in his writing many different and interconnected themes. The main idea of the novel can be interpreted many different ways through many of the different actions and characters throughout the novel.
Grapes Of Wrath 6 Essay Research Paper
Okies Vs. Californians The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, is a novel depicting the Okies migration to California during the period in history known as The Dustbowl. In this novel Steinbeck attempts to display the tensions between the Okies and the Californians. This display can be closely compared to today s tensions between citizens born in the US and the Immigrants.
Kive Essay Research Paper
# a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Grapes of Wrath, The – Book Summary and Analysis Grapes of Wrath, The – Book Analysis Grapes of Wrath, The – Joads’ Journey Great Expectations – Powerful Themes in the Novel
Grapes Of Wrath Essay Research Paper During
Grapes Of Wrath Essay, Research Paper During the Dust Bowl, hundreds of thousands of southerners faced many hardships, which is the basis of the novel called The Grapes of Wrath. John Steinback wrote this fiction novel to portray the harsh conditions during the Dust Bowl. However, is the portrayal of the Dust Bowl in The Grapes of Wrath valid? When one considers the merit of this novel, one thinks, how can Americans treat other Americans so horribly.
Grapes Of Wrath Essay Research Paper PurposeEssentially
Grapes Of Wrath Essay, Research Paper Purpose Essentially, The Grapes of Wrath is a novel of social protest. It was designed to inform the public of the migrant’s plight. It is a plea for the land owners of California and the banks in the dust bowl states to be more tolerant. It shows how the migrants were made to starve by the California land owners and banks just so they could turn a profit.
Grapes Of Wrath 9 Essay Research Paper
One would say that on a literal level The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is about the Joad family s journey to California during The Dust Bowl. However, it is also about the unity of a family and the concept of birth and death, both literal and abstract. Along with this, the idea of a family unit is explored through these births and deaths.
Family Ties John Steinbeck
’s The Grapes Of Wrath Essay, Research Paper In John Steinbeck?s The Grapes of Wrath, the most important elements are family structure and the family?s connection to the land. The Joad family must stay together for support and happiness. They also have a strong tie to their homeland that affects every aspect of their lives.
Grapes Of Wrath Essay Research Paper In
Grapes Of Wrath Essay, Research Paper In John Steinbeck’s epic, The Grapes of Wrath, the Joad family is the example of the working class family during the 1930s. The novel depicts the Joad family as they are struggling to move from an infertile farm in Oklahoma to the gold coast of California. They are driven off of their farm by not only the “dust-bowl”, but because they can’t pay the mortgage to the banks, despite their hard work.
Emersonian OverSoul In The Grapes Of Wrath
Essay, Research Paper The Grapes of Wrath, written by literary genius John Steinbeck, is about an Oklahoman family named Joad that is forced off it s farm and must travel west in search of work and food. The story takes place during the depression of the nineteen thirties and 250,000 more migrants join the Joads on route sixty-six.
The Significance Of The Title Of The
Grapes Of Wrath Essay, Research Paper Elizabeth Hickert Hickert 1 The Significance in The Appellation of The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck?s The Grapes of Wrath, justifies its title within the tale. This novel is the description of a migrant farming family during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression of the 1930?s.
Interpreting Poverty In The Grapes Of Wrath
Essay, Research Paper UNCONTROLLABLE POVERTY Throughout history, less fortunate people have been set apart or shunned from the general public. In the Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, this statement holds true. Throughout the whole book, all of the less fortunate people are treated like they aren t even human.
The Grapes Of Wrath 3 Essay Research
Paper The Grapes of Wrath Through out history man has made many journeys, far and wide. Moses’s great march through the Red Sea and Columbus’s transversing
Grapes Of Wrath Synopsis Essay Research Paper
The Grapes of Wrath Synopsis: The Grapes of Wrath is a story about the Joad family and their 1800 mile journey to the supposedly job plentiful California. The family in the beginning of the book were sharecroppers in Oklahoma and were soon thrown off their land by the bank. There had been a long drought and the family were not making enough profit to keep the land.
Grapes Of Wrath In Times Of Despair
Essay, Research Paper The Grapes of Wrath: In Times of Despair If one was to examine the three characters, Tom, Ma, and Pa Joad from John Steinback s The Grapes of Wrath. How would we figure out what astrological signs they were born under, as taken from their actions and attitudes in the novel? What certain qualities do they possess, that make them fit there Zodiac sign?
Book Review On Grapes Of Wrath Essay
, Research Paper A Critical Review of: John Steinbeck s The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck wrote this book in the hopes that people would be able to see what was happening to our nation s people. He wanted to open their eyes to see the hardships that migrants faced everyday and he accomplished this through the telling of the Joad s family story.
Movie The Grapes Of Wrath
– The People And The Depression Essay, Research Paper Movie: The Grapes Of Wrath – The people and the Depression In the movie The grapes of Wrath, the Joads undergo the hit of the
The Grapes Of Wrath Description Al
Joad And The Setting Essay, Research Paper The Grapes of Wrath: Description Al Joad and the Setting Al Joad is a fairly skinny guy of medium built who starts out being a
Herbal Supplements And Mice Essay Research Paper
A nutritional scientist was trying to get a new herbal supplement approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Her belief is that the herbal supplement can improve endurance in humans. The scientist took 30 mice and split them into 15 groups of two mice. The two mice in each group are of the same species, have same diet patterns, and same size.
Grapes Of WrathStructure Essay Research Paper Authors
Grapes Of Wrath-Structure Essay, Research Paper Authors often use many styles and techniques in their novels. They use certain methods in order to make their stories seem more real. John Steinbeck uses many literary
Gatsby Essay Research Paper English Outline Thesis
Gatsby Essay, Research Paper English Outline Thesis Statement: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck both portray the same views of the American dream in the struggles towards the dream, the protagonist?s determination to achieve the dream and the disappointment of failure to achieve the dream.
Oppression In The Jungle And The Grapes
Of Wrath Essay, Research Paper In The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, and The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, the characters are forced with economic, social, and political problems that they must cope with throughout the story. Both books are similar in that they emphasize that in this country, one simply cannot win unless they play by nature’s rules.
Poetry A Poison Tree Essay Research Paper
A Poison Tree I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow. And I water’d it in fears, Night & morning with my tears;
Of Mice An Men Essay Research Paper
English: Book Report: Of mice and men February 17, 1999 Title: Of mice and men Author: John Stienbeck Category: Fiction Author John Stienbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. His first three books were financial failures and he worked at various kinds of jobs to survive, including fruit picking. His first success was Tortilla Flat in 1935 which was followed by a number of shorter works, leading up to his great masterpiece The Grapes of Wrath which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1940.
The Grapes Of Wrath 7 Essay Research
Paper ECON 115 26 May 2000 The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck s book The Grapes of Wrath depicts the sufferings of a southwestern family of poor tenant farmers who migrate to California in hopes of finding prosperity, but sadly only find poverty and despair there. The book portrays the transition the Joads family experiences as they become migrant laborers under the command of the rich.
Grapes Of Wrath Ma Joad Essay Research
Paper Ma Joad is one of the main characters in John Steinbeck’s novel Grapes of Wrath. Ma is a strong, wife and mother who is the leader of the family. She does anything to keep the family together. In Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck uses two literary techniques, direct description and portrayal of characters behavior, to create the character, Ma Joad.
The Grapes Of Wrath Essay Research
Paper The novel Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, illustrates the hardships of the common man in great detail. The one aspect of this book that displays life as it exists in the hostile real-world
The Grapes Of Wrath Essay Research Paper
John Steinbeck?s purpose in The Grapes of Wrath The Grapes of Wrath entails a story of perseverance in dealing with oppressive labor conditions faced by migrant laborers during the Depression. Steinbeck?s purpose contrived by the novel?s tone, was to inform the public of the migrant?s plight. Through analyzing the effective use of diction, comparison of man to animal, and organization of alternating narrative with serious discussion about the Depression, one can see the purpose of The Grapes of Wrath.
Of Mice And Men And Grapes Of
Wrath Comparison Essay, Research Paper Of Mice and Men and The Grapes Of Wrath John Ernst Steinbeck’s novels The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men share many common themes such as dependancy, survival and unity. Although subtle, the most intriguing link between these two novels is Steinbecks infatuation with the human soul.
Grapes Of Wrath Movie Review Essay Research
Paper Grapes of Wrath Movie Review Would John Steinbeck be proud of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company?s productions of the Grapes of Wrath? No. This production of the Grapes of Wrath does the book no justice and lacks a very important theme presented throughout the novel. One theme, which it lacks is–?I to we.? This play was very limiting in that it only presented one family?s plight and not a panoramic picture.
Tormented Virtue
– Grapes Of W Essay, Research Paper Tormented Virtue A fallen preacher who too often succumbed to temptation became the a leader of righteousness. In John Steinbeck s The Grapes of Wrath, Jim Casy left the ministry when
Character Summary The Mice Essay Research Paper
?Of Mice And Men?, being a story about two men and their struggles, however never really going into detail of the mice in which were unjustly murdered. The mice slaughtered by Lennie were never really at fault for their actions. When being harshly petted by Lennie, the mice would only try to protect themselves, thus Lennie resorted to killing the mice in his own defense.