The Grapes of Wrath reading questions Chapter 1 -Imagery, why is Steinbeck making the choice to focus so heavily on the environment? -how is it progressing? What tone is used? -how do the people react at the very end? Why is there such a focus on being "whole" and not breaking? Chapter 2 - how are people connecting to and with each other? Are they lonely? Why would that matter? - how are people identified? (Once again, we have 'good guys') - how is the truck driver characterized? What "screwy things" does he do? -how do each of the men treat the respective bugs in the truck? What does this say about their characters? -we meet Tom, our protagonist; what do you now know about him? Chapter 3 -this is an allegory; who does the turtle represent? What do his actions represent? How is he treated? Think symbolically Chapter 4 -first chapter that doesn't open with excessive imagery; what does it focus on? How does Tom Joad behave when he's alone? -why is Jim Casy no longer a preacher? -why are destinations ("goin' someplace") so important? -keep tracking loneliness -purpose of family stories; what is the difference between Pa Joad and Uncle John? Chapter 5 -why is this interchanged written so universally? (Archetypes) -how is humanity defined? (Focus especially on the tenants vs. men vs. banks). -why are there no quotation marks for dialogue? -what is the impact of the extended metaphor of the monster? -why is the difficulty of origin (who to shoot) so difficult? Why is personal ownership/responsibility so prevalent? -why are no names used? (Even after being called Joe Davis's boy, the driver is still called the driver) -why does Steinbeck make us take a break away from Tom here? Chapter 6 -has anything been added to the turtle allegory? -what information does Muley give Tom? -the Joad house was not the house in chapter 5, but it suffered a similar fate; why would Steinbeck do this? -why does Muley have to share the rabbits? -why is talking important? -why does Pa hate writing? -how do people change? -why do the men have to hide? Why is Tom troubled by it? Chapter 7 - why would Steinbeck switch perspectives to show us the used car salesman? How is this archetypal? Will this set up what we're about to read with the Joads? Chapter 8 -how are Muley and Uncle John characterized at the start?
-Steinbeck often focuses on loneliness; who is lonely? Why? -how is Tom welcomed home by his family? How are they each characterized? -what is Ma worried about regarding Tom? Why is this insight significant? -what is the purpose of Jim Casy saying Grace? -how does Al change? Chapter 9 -once again, an archetypal chapter. Why are we leaving the Joads? -what is repeated often in this chapter? -What is really bought when the tenants sell their possessions? -who can start over? Why is this significant? Chapter 10 -what is Ma's hope? -what is Tom's advice for the future? -why does Casy want to go West with the Joads? -what's the difference between talking and preaching? -how is the rest of the family characterized? How has Rose of Sharon changed? -how does John feel about his position as a head of the family? -how are the tenants taken advantage of? What are they ignorant of, and how does it hurt them? -what is the new focal point of the family (as seen in their meeting place)? -what are the different feelings the family has about leaving? Consider their words and actions Chapter 11 -consider the continued juxtaposition of life and death between industry (tractors) and the tenants' way of working the land. What is known and what is lost with the change to tractors? -why is it important to see how the house is after it is abandoned? Chapter 12 -another archetypal chapter; what is being foreshadowed here for the Joads? -how is business described? Why is this so significant? -consider the desperation and poverty of those on the road Chapter 13 -how do Al and Ma both react to being on the road? What are their priorities? Their goals? -how does Ma share Tom's prison philosophy? -Ma foreshadows about the preacher's usefulness; what does she say? -what is archetypal about the Joads in this chapter? (From what we read in Chapter 12) -what does the man at the gas pump represent? What is significant about this interaction? -what does Casy explain to the man? What does Tom then say about it? -what is significant about the dog? -what is Rose of Sharon always concerned about? -what allows Ivy Wilson to become friendly? What does this suggest about humanity? -what happens in the Wilson tent? How does the family cope? How do these hard choices reflect on their lives/circumstances? -carefully consider page 146 and the explanations given -why do the 2 families unite? Chapter 14 -huge archetypal chapter; what is the central focus? -Steinbeck uses a lot of repetition here, what is he focusing on? -why is it so important to understand the results, not causes?
-unity is also stressed; why is it so important to understand why/how the "I" becomes "we"? Chapter 15 -what is daily life like in the diner? Why would Steinbeck want us to see this? -who are the different types of people who come in? How are twit characterized? What's their morality? -watch for the use (and non-use) of quotation marks; what is this suggesting? -how does the interaction with the migrant family reflect on the people in the diner? Chapter 16 -what is Rose of Sharon's planned future? -why is Ma so against the group splitting up? -what is going on with Granma? -why doesn't Tom want to answer Al's questions on prison? -why does the one eyed man bother Tom so much? -what is said about business practices here? -what is Tom's advice for Al? -what happens between Tom and the proprietor? -what's the significance when the ragged man explains the handbill tactics? Chapter 17 -why do twenty families become one? What is the overarching idea behind this? -what is involved in building the worlds? What are the rights and laws? -once again, things are not told, they are shown (building upon the ragged man's words) -what archetypal features is Steinbeck setting up? Chapter 18 -how is their first day in California? -what does the man in the river tell them? -we're once again told (twice) that you can't tell a person something, they have to see it for themselves; why is Steinbeck so insistent on this point? How is he explaining human character? -why are rich men scared? How is Steinbeck juxtaposing the migrants with rich people? -why does Noah stay? -what does Ma's interaction with the cop reveal? -why do the Wilsons stay? What is happening to Sairy? Why won't see tell Ivy? -look at page 221: Steinbeck juxtaposes 2 explanations for why the migrants (or Okies) are the way they are; why would he do this? What is he saying/showing? -why do you think Rose of Sharon keeps talking about her planned future with Connie? -why does John think he should leave? -what is Ma hiding? Why is she doing this? What does she keep repeating? -how does the family take Granma's death? -what does Tom mean when he says they wouldn't have seen it? Why are Ruthie and Winfield the only ones who are really seeing it? Chapter 19 -Steinbeck focuses on stolen land and hunger; why is this his focus? -how does their relationship with the land change? -what is the impact of farming as an industry? -why do the owners hate the Okies? -what will cause a man to fight? -what do the men discuss stealing? How do they discuss it? -what are the three cries of history?
Chapter 20 -what is different about the Hooverville from the road camps? -why is the Mayor odd? -what does the man tell Tom? Will the Joads see the truth? -why is Tom told to be bull simple? -why is Ma effected by the kids? -where does Connie go? Why? -why does the deputy accuse Floyd of being a Red? -why does Casy lie for Tom? -what's going on with John? -why does the Hooverville get burned? -how is Tom loosing his decency? Chapter 21 -how have the migrants changed? What has caused them to? -why do the rich men have to other the migrants? (Why do they have to view them as bad?) -what is the low wage fight? -how do the great owners and companies act and exacerbate the problem? Chapter 22 -What does Tom hit in the beginning? -Why is the camp such a nice place? How is it run/organized? What's the impact on the Joads of finally being "treated decent" again? What is the first family (the Wallaces) like that Tom sees? Why is this significant? What is special about them? Why did the Wallaces let them steal their car? (Consider the Marxist lens) What changes about the job that Tom gets? Why are these changes made? How is his new boss characterized? What will happen on Saturday? Why is it bad that the camp treats people like humans? What happens when Ruthie and Winfield discover the unit? How does Ma handle life in the camp? Why is her bathroom run in significant? (Why could this interaction only happen in the camp?) Focus on Ma's preparation for the Committee and her management of Rose of Sharon Why is decent treatment so impactful on Ma? What is Rose of Sharon's new life plan? How does Ma define the Joads as a people? What does the woman say that worries Rose of Sharon so much? What role does she play in the novel? What are the rules of the camp? Why is the committee so adamant that there is no shame and it's not charity? How has charity effected the people? Who has been "stealing" toilet paper? What happens when Ruthie wants to play with the other kids? How does looking for work go? What is Ma's dream for camp life? Why is Ma only now feeling the hurt? How does Pa help her? Chapter 23 The chapter open and closed with the same sentence; what is the purpose in doing this? What effect does Steinbeck create? What are the different pleasures? Why does it slip into first person? What is this effect? Chapter 24 How does Steinbeck build excitement for the dance? How does each family member prepare for it? What's bothering Rose of Sharon? What does Ma mean when she tells her not to shame her folks?
What is Tom's committee job? What are they worried about? What does Mr. Huston keep asking Willie to do? How do the men handle the trio of boys? What does Mr. Huston say to them? What does Black Hat suggest at the end? Chapter 25 Consider the imagery and symbolism at the start of the chapter What is the tone describing the "men of understanding and knowledge and skill"? What is their relationship to the land and labor? What happens once it is time to pick the fruit? Why is this a problem? Look for the symbolism/allegory present when describing this problem, as well as the canned pears that will last for years. What is Steinbeck building up to? Especially as he includes the title in this chapter. Chapter 26 What does Ma demand of the men? What is the family's struggle? Why does Ma say she can run the family? Why does Ma intentionally make Pa angry? What are Al and the blond girl's future plans? What does Ma say is different about Tom? Why is this significant? What is the symbolism behind Pa smelling and showers? How is this representative of experience? How does this then compare to the people viewing camp burnings like bad weather? Why do the men focus on the power of community and unions? What are Ma's struggles? Why do you think the family is not skeptical or worried about the man in the coupe who has a promise of work? What are the different dreams for the future? Chapter 27 How is the opening advertisement similar to the original handbills? What is cotton picking like? How fair is the labor? Chapter 28 How do the boxcars compare to the government camps? Why are the Joads lucky? What does the family hope of buying? What does Ma buy in the store? How is this different from the last time? What is the relationship between the Joads and the Wainwrights? What value is at play here? What s significant about Ruthie s Cracker Jack fight? Why does Tom have to leave? How does Ma feel about it? What is their goodbye like? What does Ma insist Tom do to not cause her pain? What is Tom s new plan? How does this connect to Casy s preaching? Pay close attention to Tom s I ll be there speech; what is he conveying here? What message is Steinbeck sending? What s going on with Al and Aggie Wainwright? How are people able to endure? Why is hope hard for some? Why does Al want to leave? Why does Rose of Sharon want to work? What is work like for the family? What s wrong with Rose of Sharon? Chapter 29
What is the weather at the beginning? Why is this significant? What biblical allusion could Steinbeck be making here? What is the rule about relief? Steinbeck establishes a progression of events; what are they and why is it significant? How does his syntax also create a build of cause and effect? What is the purpose of comparing the men to horses? What are they trying to demonstrate? Look at the last lines of the chapter, what tone does it have at the end? Is this symbolic? How does it foreshadow the ending of the whole novel? Chapter 30 How did Chapter 29 set up what we now see with the Joads? What do the migrants have to decide to do? Why is this a difficult decision? What is going on with Al? What values is he displaying? What does Ruthie long for? Rose of Sharon goes into labor (has her baby); what is this process like? Why are the men building a bank? How are they characterized? Why is Uncle John in distress? How does Pa manage it? What happens to the trees? What could this be symbolic of? Does Steinbeck give clues about how the birth went before we are explicitly told about it? Why would he do this? What type of community is described? What types of bonds hold people together? Why is it significant that Steinbeck repeats this now? Why does Ma lie to Ruthie? Why do you think Steinbeck provides so much detail while John is supposed to be burying the baby? How does Rose of Sharon take the news that her baby died? Why does Ma yell at Pa for buying store bread? What values and personality traits does this reveal about both characters? What happens as the family tries to find dry land? What happens with the starving man? Why do you think Steinbeck chooses to end the book this way?