Grapes Of Wrath Hope Analysis

When reading a novel, its important to take into consideration the time it was written. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, takes place during the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s. This novel clearly shows all the hardships the people faced during this period in history. It could be said that the novel shows the human condition in a negative way, and is too pessimistic. However, through all the hardships, hope still finds a way into the Joads lives. The three major signs of hope in Grapes of Wrath are overcoming challenges, finding jobs, and completing the journey. With this hope the Joads struggle against adversity is successful. In the very beginning of the novel it shows the women searching the mens faces after dust storms that destroy
They had to leave their homeland, loved ones, and everything they owned. They only had the hope of finding a better life and a job. The traveling and living conditions weren't ideal. They were living without access to toilets, running water, shelter, and sometimes food. They traveled thousands of miles, had a couple hundred dollars, and lost people through out the journey. They survived run-ins with the authorities, car breaking, and a flood. With all these challenges they still made it to California and managed to find a job to provide for each other. Without hope the Joads would have never fulfilled their journey for a better life. The Grapes of Wrath is a novel which shows the struggles the families had to face during the 1930s. The Joads were able to overcome these challenges through their hope and unity. Hope is shown in three major ways which are: overcoming challenges, finding jobs, and completing the journey. They over came the challenges of losing loved ones, lack of food, and a long trip. They were able to find jobs when the odds were against them. With all of that said they completed their journey and created a better life for themselves. Their battle shows that humanity’s struggle with adversity is