ID 8597

5/12/14
From reading Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck was very interesting but yet the flow
of the book was very slow. Steinbeck emphasis about migrant workers from the Midwest
seeking for jobs in the west. The beginning of the book started out with Tom Joad, the Joads
most favorite son. Tom was just being released on parole from prison. The book is about a
family that farms in Oklahoma but was tractored out by the landowners because they were
not making any money off the farm. Being tractored out meant the family needed to leave the
property even the house, if they did not leave the house the tractor would go and tear down
the house if needed regardless if there were people inside or not. The small unpainted house
was mashed at one corner, and it had been pushed off its foundations so that it slumped at an
angle, its blind front windows pointing at a spot of sky well above the horizon. (Pg. 27). After
being tractored out of their farm and home, the Joad family went to live with their Uncle John.
The family was then force to sell personal and household items that they were not able to take
with them on the road trip to California to seek for work. The Joad family finally seeks out to
travel to California with their Uncle John, Ma Joad, Pa Joad, and their former Jim Casy.
On the road to California, there were many obstacles that the family faced. They were
constantly stopping at car shops to get their car fix or just having a hard time trying to get gas
for the car because at most service stations attendants did not want to services them because
of the fear of got getting paid. The car problems were not even the worst of them all, the Joad
family soon lost Pa Joad due to a stroke and soon after Ma Joad also passed.
After many days of traveling the Joads finally reached California. Though reaching
California, the Joad still faced great obstacles. Noah, the oldest son of the Joads decided to stay
behind and go on his own while brother Tom try to convince him otherwise. Noah ended up
running away. The Joad were constantly seeking for work here and there with little pay. While
seeking for work, the Joads ran into more problems with the law enforcement and riots. One
event caused former preacher Jim Casy to get arrested due to killing a man during a brutal
encounter between Knowles and the law enforcement.
Jobs were being offered here and there but the jobs were being filled quickly. Riots were
about to break out and Tom got curious and went out to look which caused him to kill another
man. Tom then again decided to leave the Joad family so they will not face anymore problems
with the law enforcement. The Joad family was living places from places for example a box car.
From living in the box car, the weather was outrages pouring rain which caused the Joads to
leave in foot to look for shelter. Rose of Sharon was the Joads oldest and pregnant daughter.
Rose of Sharon gave birth to a stillborn baby. After that, the family soon found shelter. The
Joads found a barn and inside was a dying old man and a little boy. The book ended with Ma
Joad telling Rose of Sharon to help nurse the dying man because she was still producing milk.
The book was focused on migrant workers seeking for work in the west and showing the
discrimination and obstacles they go through. Steinbeck emphasis the lifestyle of a migrant
workers and a biological family such as the Joads. This book shows the suffering that migrant
workers went through. Not only did the migrant workers received their suffering through
Mother Natures weather but also by their own people because of self-interest motives. As
stated, "Well, what you doing this kind of work foragainst your own people?" (Pg. 25).
Overall, it gives the readers a view of where the line divides the privileges and the poor.
My family is originally from Laos and we are not currently living in Merced, California.
My family has come a long way to where they are now. The Vietnam War was the cause of my
family fleeing the country and coming to the United States to seek for a better life. The
communist were taking over Laos and killing many innocent Hmong people of the Hmongs
participation with the United States in this secret war. It was a promise from the United States
that with the help from the Hmong during the secret war, they were given the opportunity to
seek a better life in the United States. My family and I are currently living in Merced, California
because this is the first place my family has settle since the 1980s. We are still settle in little
town Merced because all of our extended family members and relatives also lives here. It is nice
to be surrounded by families and relatives. My family and I are Hmong and our culture is
Shaman. Our ethnicity and culture are very important to us. It helps define who and where we
come from. Shaman is our belief in our ancestors looking after us and believing in the afterlife
as well. This matters a lot to the people in my life such as my mom. It gives her a sense of what
she grew up knowing and being able to pass down generations worth of love, information, and
goods to her children. My culture/belief shaman is widely well known throughout the United
States now. Especially in todays modernized hospitals because now shamans are allowed to
enter and get licensed to go into hospitals and do rituals for the ills. Hmong people are still very
traditional about their culture and the people they are. Some Hmong have learned to adapt to
the American way of life but some still live by the traditional rules of Hmong people. For
example, a traditional lifestyle of a Hmong family is that the men are always the head of house
hold who goes out and find work and the women are the ones who stays home and cook and
clean cater to the men and the rest of the family. Another traditional lifestyle that many
Hmong are still into are ritual animal sacrifices to feed the ancestors. Overall, Hmong people
are slowing adapting to the American lifestyle and are changing their beliefs.


Works Cited
Hang, Mao. "Family Roots." Personal interview. 30 Apr. 2014.
Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Viking, 1939. Print.