Alienation, A Theme in John Steinbeck´s The Grapes of Wrath

Grapes of Wrath: Alienation In Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck reveals the assumptions and moral values of Californian society in the 1930s by narrating the tale through the eyes of Tom Joad. Tom and his family are evicted from their homes by the bank because the drought had diminished the profitability of the land. They join numerous other migrants on Route 66, hoping for a better life in California. Both the rich Californian landowners and the Californian workers alienate the migrant families, showing a blatant disregard for human life in pursuit of preserving their own self-interests. Migrant families were subject to being alienated and called names. The first time Tom hears the term Okie he asks someone what it means, and he learns that, Okie use ta mean you was from Oklahoma. Now it means youre a dirty son-of-a-bitch. Okie means youre scum (Page chapter 18). This quote shows the hatred Californians had for the migrant families who were looking for a new start. Okie became a derogatory term used by Californians who feared that the people migrating from the Midwest would take their jobs. Californians alienated and dehumanized migrants by labeling them. The implication that a migrant is a â€Å"dirty son-of-a-bitch† further serves to dehumanize migrants by relating them to filthy street dogs. The word scum is also demeaning, and by comparing migrants to dirt Steinbeck shows that Californians thought that the migrants were worthless. Paranoid Californians didShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of John Steinbeck s Of Mice And Men 2778 Words   |  12 PagesLiterature 15 October 2014 Author Study: John Steinbeck John Steinbeck, born in February 27, 1902, worked as a manual labor worker before achieving his success as a well renowned American writer. A compassionate understanding of the world s disinherited was to be Steinbeck s hallmark. The novel In Dubious Battle (1936) defends striking migrant agricultural workers in the California fields. In the novel Of Mice and Men(1937; later made into a play), Steinbeck again utilizes the hardships of migrantRead MoreAnalysis Of John Steinbeck s Jr Essay1523 Words   |  7 Pages John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr., was conceived on February 27, 1902, in Salinas, California, to a father, John Ernst Steinbeck, who had settled in California not long after the Civil War, and a mother, Olive Hamilton Steinbeck, who was an open teacher. Steinbeck experienced childhood in the wonderful, prolific Salinas Valley, and the clear majority of his critical books and short stories would be set in California. Arranged between the Santa Lucia run and the Gabilan Mounta ins, this valley in westRead MoreBrief Survey of American Literature3339 Words   |  14 PagesAmerican / American Indian oral literature / oral tradition creation storiesï ¼Ë†Ã¨ µ ·Ã¦ º Ã§ ¥Å¾Ã¨ ¯ Ã¯ ¼â€° trickster talesï ¼Ë†Ã¦  ¶Ã¤ ½Å"å‰ §Ã¨â‚¬â€¦Ã¤ ¼  Ã¥ ¥â€¡Ã¯ ¼â€° rituals / ceremoniesï ¼Ë†Ã¥â€¦ ¸Ã¤ » ªÃ¯ ¼â€° songs / chantsï ¼Ë†Ã¦â€º ²Ã¨ ¯ Ã¯ ¼â€° Anglo Settlers’ Writings Highly religious and pragmatic - John Smith, founder of Jamestown, Virginia; Pocahontas - John Winthrop, â€Å"A Model of Christian Charity†: â€Å"†¦ We shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  - William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation (1630-50, pub. 1856) - Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672)Read MoreBlack Naturalism and Toni Morrison: the Journey Away from Self-Love in the Bluest Eye8144 Words   |  33 Pagespostmodernism with its emphasis on race, class and gender, but the theory of naturalism as well: the idea that one s social and physical environments can drastically affect one s nature and potential for surviving and succeeding in this world. In this article, I will explore Toni Morrison s The Bluest Eye from a naturalistic perspective; however, while doing so I will propose that because Morrison s novels are distinctly black and examine distinctly black issues, we must expand or deconstruct the traditional

E-Book vs Paper Book free essay sample

First of all, I think technology will eventually replace the book but not completely. I think there will always be regular bookstores. Too many people will continue to want a real book they can hold and then, if they like it, put it on the shelf. Theres something about the look of shelves full of books, not to mention browsing through them in the stores. However, e-books offer multiple advantages; they are easily readable, easily portable due to it size and shape, the use of controls with the e-book also seems to be very beneficial. When turning pages with a touch of a button is easy. Shrinking or enlarging print and moving to any part of the book with a click helps in many cases. Taking Note is much more powerful. Its also provide a touch-sensitive screen, and the advantages to this are being able to annotate text, highlight important passages, and scribble in the margins. We will write a custom essay sample on E-Book vs Paper Book or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When it come money saving and convenience; e-book is my choice. I download almost all my school textbook cheapest price plus a bunch of free classical books. Furthermore, e-book will overtake paper book is that the technology hold a great promise for distance learning, and its allow users in remote areas to access catalogs and material. I personally feel that the distance learning feature is nice because information can be obtained from not only one place but also even at the horn of African villages. Another most important beneficially about e-books is that they are environmentally friendly. You dont have to kill a few trees for each book, and lets not even talk about the ink. Certainly, e-books could save a lot of carbon dioxide when it comes to replacing textbooks, given that textbooks tend to last only a couple of years before being replaced by new editions. When you consider other factors such as the water consumed during book publishing, the picture becomes more clear. I learned in my chemistry class that it takes about seven gallons of water to produce the average printed book. Digital books, on the other hand, are electronically published on less than two cups of water. Are e-books perfect? No. There are still problems with energy consumption, raw materials used to make the e-book reading devices, but I believe that as technology improves, the ‘footprint’ that e-books leave on the environment will become smaller and smaller. For example, switch to solar power to recharge the reading device’s such as batteries will help save energy and reduce carbon dioxide. As an overall perspective I feel paper books, though convenient in some aspects as discussed, are probably more of a hassle to people who can’t afford textbooks. Money can also be saved with e-book. We know that in order to make our books, we chop down vast amounts of trees. Therefore, e-book provides us enormous advantages to enhance our environment. So yes I think it will replace the paper book. Technology will always move forward no matter what gets in its way. Its too bad though. I prefer the paper books way better and I cant imagine reading a whole book on a screen.