Grapes of Wrath

Akash Kumar
Mr. Wilson
Exposition and Argumentation
9 April 2013
Annotated Bibliography
Donelson, Ken. “The Front Line: ‘ You Can’t Have That Book in My Kid’s School Library:’ Books Under Attack in the ‘Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom.’” The High School Journal 74.1
(Oct.- Nov. 1990): 1-7. Web. JSTOR. 9 April 2013.
The novel, The Grapes of Wrath, was banned from many public libraries and public and private schools. It has a list of a lot of the schools. Also, it listed what parents had to stay and their complaints.
Kappel, Tim. “Trampling out the Vineyards: Kern County’s Ban on The Grapes of Wrath.”
California History 61.3 (Fall 1982): 210-221. Web. JSTOR. 9 April 2013.
In Kern County, California, the County Board of Supervisors requested on August 12, 1939, that the use, possession, and circulation of The Grapes of Wrath be banned from the county’s libraries and schools. Literally, less than two months after the book was published it was banned from the public systems of this county.The book was attacked more as a social document rather than praised as a novel. Many farmers were burning copies of the book.
Shockley, Martin S. “The Reception of The Grapes of Wrath in Oklahoma.” American Literature
15.4 ( Jan. 1944): 351-361. Web. JSTOR. 9 April 2013.
Even though there was conflict in many other places over The Grapes of Wrath, in Oklahoma, the book had blown up. Other than Gone With the Wind it was the most sold book in Oklahoma. They fancied this book because it stood up for the poor people and “Okies”.
Zirakzadeh, Cyrus E. “John Steinbeck on the Political Capacities of Everyday Folk:
Moms, Reds, and Ma Joad’s Revolt.” Polity 36.4 (2004): 595- 618. Web. JSTOR. 9 April 2013.
One conclusion is that Steinbeck’s political position, although obviously anti-big business, is not “communist”, despite some of his conservative critics’ comments. Steinbeck’s book instead warns readers about the power of interest groups in government, predicts widespread, spontaneous, and small- scale social experimentation by impoverished and recently dispossessed Americans, and encourages women to embrace their traditional roles as family and community caretakers.

Bibliography: (Oct.- Nov. 1990): 1-7. Web. JSTOR. 9 April 2013. Kappel, Tim. “Trampling out the Vineyards: Kern County’s Ban on The Grapes of Wrath.” California History 61.3 (Fall 1982): 210-221 Zirakzadeh, Cyrus E. “John Steinbeck on the Political Capacities of Everyday Folk: Moms, Reds, and Ma Joad’s Revolt.” Polity 36.4 (2004): 595- 618