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Chapters 27-30 The Ghost of Tom Joad

I think it the idea that Tom is talking about is totally real. Its kind of a religion question, I that it deals with believing in are spirit after we are gone. I think that what Tom is talking about is that he stands for the poor man trying to survive; it’s not what you have in this world that matters but what kind of person you are. You could be poor but that does not make you less of a person than someone who is rich. People should not stand by and watch this sort of injustice go uncheck.  Tom will stand by what he believes in even if that means losing his life. The concussion that Tom has come to is that its not what you have that counts but a persons will, strength and determination against being oppressed that truly counts in the end. You have to stand up for what is right and fair even if you stand-alone. This relates to leadership by the fact I stated before, what social class you are in, whether it be rich or poor it does not matter. It’s not what you have that counts but the type of person you are, what you stand for. It’s about standing up for the things that are right and fair in the world, it’s not about having the most. The characteristics that make a great leader have nothing to do with ones, wealth or ones belongings, a great leader is some one who knows what’s right and wrong and peruses to do good in the world.

Chapters 21-26 What Jail Taught a Preacher

The big idea that Casy realized is that even a person has made poor chooses it does not make them a bad person.  When times are hard you still have to do the right thing. You can steel things even the most basic essentials. In many ways I feel Casy has respect for Tom whether Tom knows it or not. The people Casy ran in to while he was in jail where just your normal good people they just made a bad choose and stole things. I would agree with Casy, we can just judge people just because they are in jail, they could be a good person who just made a bad choose here and there and are now paying for it. I would also agree that its peoples need for stuff gets them In trouble, even it do today’s world people’s want/needs for stuff gets them in trouble. I feel this can be related back to one of the big ideas behind the book, that is we cant judge people based on their social class no matter if they’re poor or rich, or some where in the middle. If your are to even consider judging a person you should do it based off of the try of person they are, what do they stand for things of that nature not if they are poor, or have mad a bad choose in life. You have to look a person as a whole look at everything that makes them, them. In many ways I feel this book is about giving people a second chance. Even though times are hard for the Joads them moving to California kind of gives them a new take on life and a new way to appreciate what they have.

Chapters 17-20 Life in Hooverville

Ma has reached a point in her life where she is just so driven and determined to survive that she will. Even thought they do not have a lot of food or for that matter a lot of anything.  She is not going to give up she is going to keep fighting. Ma’s cooking has drawn over many children who are starving to death, she knows she can’t feed everyone but she still is going to try. After her family is feed she give the scraps to the starving kids.  Ma has come to far and lost too much to not make it to California. I think Ma took the right approach. When life gets hard and all hope seems lost you still have to keep fighting and that is what she does. If I was in Ma shoes I don’t know what I would do, I would feel so lost and so helpless that just giving up might be my only option. She just shows how strong she really is thought the Joads whole adventure to California. Even though Ma seems in many ways out of options she still does not give up. She just make use of what she has to get the job done, whether it be feeding her family or putting clean close on her families backs. Talking care of the family and keeping them together is Ma’s number one priority, and the fact that she is still fight is a good thing for all of the Joads.

Chapters 14-16 "This is the beginning - from 'I' to 'we"

The main idea that chapter 14 is about this move from Oklahoma to the West is no longer just a few people; every on is being forced off their land. They have to move west in order to survive. A quote from chapter 15 on page 154 of The Grapes of Wrath that show this idea big is “Cars whisking by on 66. License plates. Mass., Tenn., R.R., N.Y., Vt., Ohio. Going west.” Every one is hurting, and just wants to make it. People are scared and don’t know what to do or really where to go. If I were in that situation I don’t know it would be hard to convince my self to go west in to the unknown. Knowing that theirs a chance that the grass might not be greener on the other side. A quote from chapter 16 that talks about the idea of going west on page 182 is “I wonder how long it’ll take us to get to California. Christ, I don’t know. Jus’ plug away at her.” The Joads like every one else at the time has no idea how long the journey west will take and even if its worth taking, but life is forcing everyone to get on the move. I think I would have to agree when they say “I don’t know. Jus’ plug away at her.” If I was forced to move and had no other options I would just want to get on with it not stay in a dying out way of life. With so mush uncertainty its interesting to me that people still have drive and courage to move on, but I guess when you have lost everything what else do you have.

Chapters 7-13 Personal Connections

I can imagine what life would be like for the Joads, having to get up and leave everything behind. I don’t like moving, but at least when you move you can take your things. The Joads where forced to leave anything that was not essential for survival, it’s just amazing to me. I don’t know if I could still want to continue on the way to California. With the world in a state that just seems lost, I am always interested in how some people can be. I always want to know how people tick and the Joads are not exception. I think if they Joads where real people I could get along with them. Their values and goals are overall respectable, I am not saying that I would agree with everything they have done, but is it that true for anyone. I wonder what the next obstacle the Joads will have to face. To be honest reading the book is not giving me a real positive mood, its sad but a small amount of hope that it will get better is still there.

           

I am enjoying the Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck because of his attention to detail with his characters. I like the fact that his characters are easy to understand, but they all have their own problems and goals. The characters are easy to relative too every thought the worlds the reader and the Joads live in are night and day for the most part. An example of what I mean is on page 91. “Ma-Tom I hope things is all right in California. Tom- What makes you think they ain’t? Ma- It seems too nice, kinda. I seen the han’bills fellas pass out, an’ how much work they is, an’ high wages an’ all; an’ I seen in the paper how they want folks to come an’ pick grapes an’ oranges an’ peaches. That’d be nice work, Tom, pickin’ peaches. Even if they wouldn’t let you eat none, it’d been nice under the trees, workin’ in the shade.”  I think this is interesting because the author did not need to add this to the book it plays no huge role in the overall story. However it does give us great insight in to what makes Ma who she is, and what her thoughts are, it gives the reader something to relate to.  So, far the theme of family in The Grapes of Wrath, reminds me of something important in my life. For me it reminds me of how close and important my family is to me. I lost my grandfather two years ago and my grandmother now lives with me. Her moving in as only made my family closer. I can only image what it would be like for my family to just get up and move, with out a lot of warring.  My family plays a huge role in my life and at the end of the day it’s what I got, I would not trade them for anything. I can really relate to Ma when her only real goal is to keep the family together I would be the same way.

            I am looking forward to reading the rest of this book because; I want to find out if they make it to California. I want to know if Ma’s goal of keeping the family together is reached or does life force them to split apart, if so is it for a short time or the rest of their lives.  What probably is going to happen is they will be successful in getting to California but Tom will get in trouble with the law and be forced to go back to jail or something will occur that will split Tom from the rest of his family.  I hope that this does not happen, I am hoping for a happy ending but you never know.

Chapters 3-6 Economic and Political Pressures

The banks are similar to tyrants, because they push the farmers around. The banks are not able to make profits so they have been kicking people off their land, leaving them with no place to go. In many ways the farmers have become the oppressed people during the days and months of the dust bowl.  They are forced to try and survive with little other than what they can carry on their back. With no home and not work, life is hard and to many hopeless. The farmers try to fight the banks, and keep their land but it is a hopeless cause. The banks come in with bulldozers and flatten any buildings. Do to all the hardship, people will just about anything to make money. In turn the farms have turned angst one another, and are working for the banks, removing and destroying, neighbors’ farms. Farmers try and justify these actions with the mindset if not you then me, but in time every one is going to lose it all. I can only image what it would be like to have to choose between getting paid to push my neighbor of his land in order to make money to survive. I think I could allow my self to do soothing like the guilt would just seem to hard to deal with. You never know hardships change people. I would hope I am strong enough to not let my values be put a side because times are hard. When things turn for the worst many people don’t know how to stop it or make it easier, some give up all together, others try and resist the change and few actual try and learn from the situation. If the farmers had tried to support one another things could have been different, but it’s very hard to do when the natural instinct of fight or flight sets in, which is exactly what happens to these farmers.