Literary Essay Sample: Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, Chapters 17 to 30 Response

The Grapes of Wrath is an American humanist novel that was written by John Steinbeck. John Steinbeck can be characterized as an author who advocates on the socialist-style solutions to the depredations of capitalism, one who can also be considered as a champion of individualism, and a naturalist. The book The Grapes of Wrath Published in 1939, the author tells the story of a farm family that is driven from their homestead. It is a book that can be considered as one of his most controversial work that confronts enigmatic natural forces and dehumanizing social institutions. The essay paper is going to consider the book responses starting from the readings from chapter 17 and thoughts about the book.

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Chapter 17 Response

After reading the chapter, you find that a group of people from different societies can be united together by a certain behavior or their social status in the community. The story in the chapter is an excellent depiction of behaviors in our societies which is very realistic and easy to relate to our current personal lives. For example, our problems, losses, and concerns in life can become our communal interest. Through the chapter, the article tries to take us through some families that are at first nervous but later gradually builds new societies that were based on codes of behavior and rights that had to be observed. What comes into mind after reading the chapter is about the essence and importance of a society living together with common rules and regulations that regulate polite behavior and that enables to find common interests. I would conclude that in the society we require wisdom to live together with harmony and a common interest.

Chapter 18 Response

In this chapter, the author takes us through the journey of migrant workers and the struggles they go through to make some living. After reading the chapter, I understand that poor and migrant workers go through difficult situations and conditions that are forced and created by the wealthy's corporate interests. It a story that can be related to the current society that we live in today where rich owners can be characterized as paranoid, vindictive, and cowardly. For example, people in our society who can be considered to have wealth in most cases can also be considered to suffer from loneliness and fear.

Chapter 19 Response

The author takes the reader through a story of how California belonging to Mexico was grabbed by Americans who believed that just because they used to farm on the land, it should be theirs. The reading from this chapter gives an insight into how the rich in the society use their position to mistreat the poor and deny them of their rights. This is exactly what we can understand from the chapter where wealthy farmers tried to defend their land with armed guards claiming it was their wealth and paying low wages to the laborers. It reflects on the normal society that separates the rich and the poor where the poor only look for decent wages and freedom from the threat of starvation.

Chapter 20 Response

The chapter points out that the poor would even lose their lives from influential people in society and even the police. We find from the story that the police even murdered migrant workers to show that they had no name and thus no property. The poor and the less fortunate find themselves sharing, the less they have with the individuals of their social class. For example, in the story, a woman gives food away to the starving children even having come from a family that had to budget its food carefully. I consider that the author was trying to explain to its readers about the gap in our society that is created by ownership of property and power. It helps the reader get a clear understanding about the hostility and difficult life that the poor goes through in a society that mostly believes the rich have or those with property should always have their way and are untouchable from even the government or the police forces. Anyone who is found to advocates on the poor is considered to be a blacklist in the society or one that should not be allowed to have the right to live in the society.

Chapter 21 Response

The chapter gives the reader a mind and an insight of the Hardship and difficult situations that poor workers go through leads them to live together and come together and live in harmony. For example, from the reading, we get about the hostility that is directed to the migrants changes them and brings them together. The rich always or those in control of properties in the society go even to the extent to find all means that they can use to take the small and little that the low class possesses that enable them to survive in life. For example, in the chapter, the owners of large farms try by all means to chase away small farmers out of business making more people poor to the extent of being unable to feed their children and sustain their lives.

Chapter 22 Response

In this chapter the author uses the camp as a representation of the communities, we live in. It is a representation of the communal society in which everyone in the society should have an equal share and an equal voice. Just as in the chapter, the government should help the people especially the poor to live a comfortable and fair life which is respectable. The government should be in the first line to ensure the degree of poverty does not go high. It is a good representation that the officials from the government should not be allowed to intimidate others irrespective of their positions.

Chapter 23 Response

The chapter is a reflection of the life people in the society tend to engage in as a way of getting away from their troubles and miseries. It is important to have some moments of our normal lives as human beings to try and meditate about what factors lead into our misery in life and find ways that can enable us to divert from those miseries. In the chapter, the author tells us that if people are not working or looking for work, they are either engaged in other fun activities such as making music. Also, if money is available, the same people can also buy alcohol which just like music distracts the temporarily from their miseries. This is a good reflection of the life most people in our society even to date tend to have engaged in or made routine.

Chapter 24 Response

The chapter is a good illustration of how our society operates with most of the orders coming from the officials in the government. Comparing the article with the normal life of today, it is clear that leaders make information and directions in a nation, determining how people should maintain order. Respect is a subject matter that the readers can grab from this chapter. In most cases, leaders are usually responsible for violent cases that may happen in a country. Police go to the extent of collecting bribes from the people down in the society and guarantee them of protection showing some motive of self-interest. The article is a good insight of how the leaders can be referred to have some personal concerns that are selfish and unfavorable to the public good leading to a collective selfless behavior.

Chapter 25 Response

From this chapter, what I would consider being of so much importance for the reader is the consideration and identification of the metaphor of decay among the top business class. People in the society have tried by all ends to make a good living in the society which their do in the expense of not valuing other people's welfare. It can even go to the extent of children dying as their parents cannot afford good medication.

Chapter 26 Response

The chapter is a good depiction of men's role in the family and society. Gender should be a matter of consideration in society, and both the husband and wife should take charge of running the family. There is a good message for all men by the author that they fulfill their obligations, serve as both caretakers and a moral center.

Chapter 27 Response

The author uses a scenario in the story to show how people aim at making money in their businesses regardless of whether other people are getting hurt in the process. A good example is where the farm owners hire cotton pickers and ensure that they receive lower compensation than they deserve. This tells the reader of a system that is used to maximize profit, no matter the cost to the worker.

Chapter 28 Response

The chapter can be used as a good source to compare men's and women's lives in society. It seems that according to Steinback, women are more equipped in life to handle change and pain than men, and for women, they can accept change because they are much inevitable.

Chapter 29 Response

The chapter depicts on the irresponsibility of the government to its people despite them having put into power. People down in the society face a lot of hardship with even others facing starvation yet cannot receive any government relief. It is an inhumane act depicted by the other that we can compare with our normal lives that people in power do for the less fortunate or the poor.

Chapter 30 Response

In this concluding chapter, I think Steinbeck was aiming at teaching us on how we can live our lives devoted to souls that are greater than ours to help each other in the society and ensure that others never suffer in the name of our self-interests and gain. It is a chapter that the reader can use to learn of some teachings such as building our callings of putting ourselves in the service of the collective good. We should not show our selfish concerns to have communal good in society.