Is The Grapes of Wrath a “Great American Novel”?

The Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath written by John Steinbeck, tells the story of the Joad family who migrated from Oklahoma to California in the midst of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Based on our class criteria, this novel exceeds the expectations that come with being a “Great American Novel.”

American Content Set in the 1930s, The Grapes of Wrath, reveals the harsh reality of migrants who suffered from the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. This novel portrays a significant part of American history that affected people all around the country. Like the Joads, many Americans faced migration, starvation, unemployment, death, and other issues that came with this time period.

Limitations In addition to meeting the requirement for having American content, a “Great American Novel” must have an American author. John Ernst Steinbeck was born in Salinas, CA in 1902. Many of his works include stories of the Great Depression Era. Steinbeck had a very successful career with total of 31 books Witten—The Grapes of Wrath being one of the most popular ones. He also won a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962.

Style Throughout the novel, Steinbeck’s unique style is evident. He alternates between the chapters, using long, narrative dialogue and short, poetic description. The long chapters tell the story of the Joads and their journey to California. The shorter chapters speak of a greater message of the social and economic issues that impacted the entire country. Steinbeck also uses a lot of repetition to help get his point across. For example, in chapter 7 the car salesmen repeats the words “used cars. good used cars” (89) over and over to appeal to the customers.

Relevancy to Today Another important aspect of a “Great American Novel” is that it pertains to today’s world. The immigrants crossing borders today face many of the same struggles as the “Okies” who fled the dust bowl in the 1930s; both of these groups have the same goal: finding a better life for their family. Steinbeck says, “they were hungry, and they were fierce. And they had hoped to find a home, and they found only hatred ” (318). I feel that this quote relates to both the Okies and immigrants today.

Characterization Many of the characters in the novel, especially Tom and Rose of Sharon, undergo significant personal growth and development. Former preacher, Jim Casey’s principals and morals influence Tom and force him to rethink the direction of his life. In the end, Tom sacrifices his safety to stand up for workers being mistreated (just like Casey did). In the end of the novel, Tom says, “God, I’m talkin’ like Casy. Comes of thinking’ about him so much. Seems like I can see him sometimes” (572). On the other hand, with Rose of Sharon, readers can see her transformation from being very needy and selfish to becoming a woman and helping feed the starving man. These well-rounded, developed characters prove that The Grapes of Wrath is a “Great American Novel”.

Content Steinbeck’s work in this novel delivers a strong message for all people. Readers learn a powerful message of human dignity. The Joads believe that every person deserves to have the basic humans rights, and they give as much as they can to help others. Ma teaches us a lesson about the importance of family. Along the journey, Ma is the glue that holds them together. When the car broke down on the side of the road, “the eyes of the whole family shifted back to Ma. She was the power” (231). Here, Ma insisted that the family stay together when Tom and Casy offer to stay behind and fix the car. She knows that without family, they would have nothing.

Based on this criteria, I believe that The Grapes of Wrath is truly a “Great American Novel”. Not only does the book have an American author and American content, but it contains unique stylistic elements, strong character development, and a message that speaks to the people of today.