Surviving Man's Inequality...

I know this book isn't the happiest of books to read, but it is crucial to read in order to try to understand what so many Joad families suffered and continue to suffer today.

Inequality seems to be a topic that dominates the story. This inequality stems from social, cultural, and economic circumstances. The landowners and banks control California and its jobs. These 'rich folks' begin to observe the migration and influx of people wanting jobs and start to feel threatened. When one group out numbers another group, a power shift begins; and the landowners didn't want to lose power, so they treated the migrant workers like animals in order to keep control. I was reminded of the Ludlow Massacre in 1914 in southern Colorado when the steel and mine workers were forced to live and work in unlivable and unworkable conditions (If you are not familiar with this event, I recommend you research it a little bit). The unfair treatment of laborers is the reason unions began to form. Money, education, and sometimes family name/background (if not a combination of all three) allow people to move ahead and become successful; however, during the Dust Bowl, not many people had any of these things and were left to struggle to feed a family much like the Joads. Therefore, I think a major theme in this novel is the division among people socially, culturally, and economically causes the evils of inequality and inhumanity to take over the human race. Survival of the fittest, or the richest, is what drives the behavior of many of the characters; nobody seems to look at his or her fellow man or woman as a fellow man or woman.

An example of inequality is when the Joads stop to fill up the gas tank in chapter 13. The attendant is constantly asking "What's this country commin' to?" and refers back to the economic hardships of people who stop and trade just for a gallon of gas. "Them big new cars" don't stop at his station because "they go on to them yella-painted company stations in town." This is only one example of how big companies control the economy. This control is historical and is what causes small businesses and many farms to go out of business. The gas station attendant at one time was probably a very popular man because he was either the only gas station or he was friendly to customers or both. But once the big corporations come to town, things definitely change. Although, the attendant is obviously a good man because he does trade for gas. He has been taken advantage of and is upset about it, but he still helps the people. The ironic twist, though, is if he didn't help the people, he would go out of business and not be able to survive. It is a vicious cycle and sometimes we never know what people's motives are for helping others.

When the Joads finally arrive in California, they are faced with the harsh reality of the lack of milk and honey in the land of sour grapes. The inequalities continue as they move from camp to camp and hardship is around every corner. But, through the hardships, the family, specifically Tom, realizes how important it is to work for everyone, for the collective, in order to survive. When this book ended, I immediately thought of Ayn Rand's Anthem and the idea that in order for a society to be successful, individuality must be compromised for the greater good. What you do for yourself must also benefit your fellow human beings; gaining personal fame and fortune benefits nobody but yourself. This is a good idea when the situation is as desperate as the Joads and other families like them; it could bring a more peaceful and happy lifestyle, but can it go too far? Even though The Grapes of Wrath is far from a Utopian society, the theory is very Utopian. Do you agree?

This book is a tough emotional read only because it is based on historical events. Even though the Joad family wasn't real, many Joad families existed. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was a fun book to read, but I think we are far removed from the history and reality of it. The Grapes of Wrath, on the other hand, is an event that some people today, like our grandparents or great grandparents, remember because they lived through it. I know this book makes me thankful for what I have (an education, money, a family, a house, food, cars, the list can go on). I have these things, though, because I worked very hard for them. The 1930's were tough years for many people, even for the landowners and banks. It is difficult to sympathize with the wealthy people in the book, but look at the events of the 1930's and how it might have affected them. They were trying to survive as well. It really is survival of the fittest...hmm, I think I said that about Huck Finn too.