Harvest Gypsies Analysis

In the early 1930’s, there were many difficulties in the Midwest. The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl caused many problems. Midwest people lost their homes and had no source of income because of these difficulties. In Harvest Gypsies, government camps and speculative farms have different and similar ways on fulfilling the physical and emotional needs of migrants. Government camps fulfill the needs of migrants better than speculative farms. Government camps provide sections of land for tents and permanent structures which fulfill the migrants’ need for shelter. The permanent structures Steinbeck recognizes are: “washrooms, toilets and showers, an administration building and a place where the people can entertain themselves” (Article IV). These permanent structures help migrants become more comfortable with their surroundings. This shelter allows migrants some leeway on where they want to
As a result, migrants are not able to purchase healthy food. Steinbeck states, “It will be seen that remaining healthy is very slight. The complete absence of milk for the children is responsible for many of the diseases of malnutrition” (Article V). Many families know that food is scarce and that causes them to buy cheap and unhealthy food. Speculative farms force the migrants to work without eating nutritional food and that puts them in a weakened state.
Government camps are able to provide medical supplies to migrants. These camps care about migrants’ health. Steinbeck states, “In case any of the family are sick the camp manager or the part-time nurse is called and treatment is carried out” (Article IV). Government camps make sure that the migrants do not get terribly sick and weak. Speculative farms did not provide any medical care because the farm owners did not care about the laborers’ well-being. These farms do not care about the migrants’ health because all the speculative farms care about is the profit they