The Grapes of Wrath
Part 1: Literary Analysis
1. A. “…‘What’s this call, this sperit?’ An’ I says, ‘It’s love…” (page 23, Chapter 4). This quote is an example of an metaphor. The use of this metaphor was to show the reader why the preacher doesn’t preach anymore. The effect the metaphor had on the reader was, for them to see how the preacher really viewed ‘the sperit’.
B. “One cat’ takes and shoves ten families out. Cat’s all over hell now…” (pg. 8, Chapter 2). This quote is an example of symbolism. The truck driver uses the animal cat to describe the people who tractor out croppers from their crops and homes. The effect of using a cat to describe someone was negative. The cat description made the reader view the person who tractors out croppers as evil, cunning and thoughtless.
C. “...The Bank -or the Company-needs-wants-insists-must have -as though the Bank or the Company were a monster, with thought and feeling which had ensnared them.” (pg. 31, Chapter 5). This quote is an example of an epic simile. The use of his simile is to show the reader that the Bank or Company that takes the land acts as a monster, being mean and cold.
D. “Can you live without the willow tree? Well, no, you can’t. The willow tree is you. The pain of that mattress there - that dreadful pain - that’s you.” (pg. 89, Chapter 9). This quote is an example of a metaphor. The use of this metaphor is to relate all of the families belongings to them, that the belongings are indeed part of them. The effect of this metaphor is to show the reader how much the families belongings actually meant to them.
E. “Damn it,’ he said, ‘a pick is a nice tool (umph), if you don’ fight it (umph). You an’ the pick (umph) workin’ together (umph)’ (pg. 298, Chapter 22). This quote is an example of Epizeuxis. The use and effect of this epizeuxis is to show emphasis on how heavy the pick was and how hard it was to work back then. The epizeuxis helps the reader image Tom working in the hot