The grapes of wrath is an american realist novel written by john steinbeck and published in 1939. He wrote a series of short stories set in his hometown of monterrey, california, about the harsh lives of migrant workers there. John steinbeck 19021968 was an american novelist, playwright, essayist, and shortstory writer. Not only one of steinbecks greatest works, the grapes of wrath 1939 has also. The novel, for which steinbeck won the national book award and the pulitzer prize, chronicles the migration of the joad family from oklahoma to. The grapes of wrath, no 65 in this series, is a novel with blood on its. The grapes of wrath steinbeck in the schools san jose state. This and other biblical passages had inspired a long tradition of imagery of christ in the winepress, in various media. The first thing i noticed while reading the grapes of wrath is how political the book is. You say the inner chapters were counterpoint and so they werethat they were pace changers and they were that too but the basic purpose was to hit the reader below the belt. The book came to be regarded as an american classic. John steinbeck was inspired to write the grapes of wrath because he was born in the salinas valley in northern california and personally observed the huge influx of dispossessed farmers from oklahoma, arkansas, and the rest of the dust bowl area. How was steinbeck inspired to write the grapes of wrath.
The book evokes the harshness of the great depression and arouses sympathy for. Asked in the grapes of wrath in the grapes of wrath the truck driver would not drink liquor because. John steinbeck won the pulitzer prize for novels for his book the grapes of wrath in 1940. On may 6, 1940, john steinbeck is awarded the pulitzer prize for his novel the grapes of wrath the book traces the fictional joad family of oklahoma as they lose their family farm and move to. In the souls of the people, the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage. The first thing i noticed is how evocative the first chapter is. But then again, the grapes of wrath isnt meant to be. In short, john steinbeck explained his purpose in writing the grapes of wrath, when he wrote to herbert sturtz, in 1953.
In the final chapter of the book, the family takes shelter from the flood in an old barn. Set during the great depression, the novel focuses on the joads. Inspiration came from the 1937 documentary short the plow that broke the. Finding inspiration in john steinbecks grapes of wrath. His bestknown work includes of mice and men and the grapes of wrath. The book won the national book award and pulitzer prize for fiction, and it was cited prominently when steinbeck was awarded the nobel prize in 1962. The grapes of wrath is an american realist novel written by john steinbeck and published in.
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