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Chapter 1
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Theme
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The Dust Bowl
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The chapter describes a dust storm.
Dust storm were common during the Dust Bowl.
§
Strength of Women
·
The chapter described the women
standing by the men when the men couldn’t work because of the storm. Also I
talked about how the women got right back to work after the storm passed. This
shows that even when men can’t do their duties, women keep the family afloat
and do what they need to in order for the household functioning.
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Brief description of what happens
§
In this chapter there is an in depth
description of the preparation and passing of a dust storm.
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Characters
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None
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Any important symbol or motif
§
The colors used to describe the
surroundings symbolize the mod of the chapter. The colors are dark and grey as
are the emotions of the people who are losing their houses.
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Poetic Chapter
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Chapter 2
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Theme
§
Industries changing people
·
The truck driver is a nice man and would have no
problem giving Tom Joad a ride, but because of the company he works for he has
to be cautious and perhaps less inclined to offer rides to people.
o
Brief description of what happens
§
The chapter begins with Tom Joad
looking for a ride and he seeks this from a truck driver. The driver picks him
up regardless of the No Riders sticker
on the windshield. During the duration of the ride they two men made casual
conversation about the work that Tom Joad has done, how the truck driver is
studying, and how Tom Joad killed a man and has been in jail for the past four
years. When the driver came to the spot agreed upon the two men, Tom Joad got
out and started walking to him old home.
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Characters
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Tom Joad
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The Truck Driver
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Any important symbol or motif
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The sticker on the windshield was a
representation of corporations’ control over people because the truck driver
didn’t feel comfortable giving Tom a ride because he didn’t want to get in
trouble.
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Current events chapter
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Chapter 3
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Theme
§
Exodus
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This chapter is strongly connected to
the idea of Exodus because it is about this turtle traveling from a bad place
to a good one.
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Nature vs. Industry
·
The turtle, nature, is battling this
long journey to the promise land and is has to face traffic, industry. The
turtle has to encounter two car, one swerving to miss it, and the other aiming
to hit it. Although the odds are stacked against the turtle, it preservers and
manages to continue on its path.
o
Brief description of what happens
§
This chapter talks about this turtle
making a journey and having to dodge many obstacles in to order for it to
maintain its path. The turtle is almost hit by one car, and actually hit by
another that was aiming to hit it. Regardless, the turtle find a way to
continue his journey.
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Characters
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The turtle
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Any important symbol or motif
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The turtle symbolized the Joad family. They both
are on journey for the pursuit of better lives. The Joad family is leaving
Oklahoma to go to California where you can pick an orange off the tree whenever
you want.
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Poetic Chapter
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Chapter 4
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Theme
§
Importance of Land
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Tom has been in prison for four years,
he still wants to return to the land where he was raised and work with his
family. He does this without knowing its current condition because he knows
that the land is home.
o
Brief description of what happens
§
Tom met the ex-preacher, Jim Casey,
under a tree that provided the only shade on sight. They first reminisced about
the past when Tom was just a young boy. Meanwhile the turtle make another
appearance. Tom grabs him up and wraps him on his coat so he could take it back
to his family. Then the preacher explained that he was no longer a preacher
because he lost sight of the spirit and after he was preach and then go out in
the grass and sleep with girls who had just listened to his sermons. Then Tom
told the ex-preacher that he had been in jail for a homicide for the past four
years. He explained that he and the man he killed were both drunk and the other
guy came at him a knife so Tom killed him with a shovel. Tom said he hd better
get a move on and Casey wanted to join him to see the family that he brought
Jesus to fir so many years and Tom had no problem with that. The house was only
o mile away so the headed that way making light conversation on the way there.
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Characters
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Tom Joad
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Reverend Jim Casey
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Any important symbol or motif
§
The turtle is back again, having to face more
obstacles standing in between him and his path.
o
Current events chapter
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Chapter 5
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Theme
§
Importance of Land
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The tenants in this chapter refuse the leave
until finally the bulldozer hit their house. This idea is reinforced when the
tenants talk about how they were raised on this land and that they will own it
forever because of the history they have with the land.
§
People vs. Molak
·
Molak, or the monster, are the big banks that
are always taking people’s land and running them out of town because they no
longer have any place to make money. In this chapter the tenants are getting
their land taken by the monster.
§
Strength of Women
·
While the men were throwing their fit outside,
the women were inside protecting their children and continuing to do their
daily work. They needed to support that family when the men couldn’t.
o
Brief description of what happens
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In this chapter a family is getting their land
taken over by the bank. Despite all efforts made by the tenant men, the owner
man continued to drive is tractor over the land. The tenant men were anger and
threatened to shoot the ma in the tractor, but the man in the tractor explain
that it would so them no good, that if they shot him, his replacement would be
back the next day. And there isn’t really an owner that they can shoot. The
banks in the east are what is running the joint and you can’t really shoot a
bank. The family had no choice but to give in when the tractor took out a
corner of the house.
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Characters
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The tenants
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The owner man
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Any important symbol or motif
§
The chair in the tractor is described at the
iron chair. This can be connected with the iron throne that kings would sit on
while in power. In this situation, the man driving the tractor would be the
king and the family his subject, having to eventually do what they are told.
The tractor man is the man in power.
o
Poetic Chapter
·
Chapter 6
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Theme
§
Importance of Land
·
Muley Graves also come from a family that has a
lot of history with the land that he was raised on. SO when it came time for
the bank to take his land too, he said no way and refused to leave. This
connects to the theme importance of land because it shows how much the land
meant to the families.
§
People vs. Molak
·
In this chapter the Tom and Muley are both
discussing their frustration with the monster and how they know that they are
helpless in the situation, even though Muley refuses to leave his land.
o
Brief description of what happens
§
Tom and Casey arrive at Tom’s old home
to find that the corner has been bashed in and it has been pushed off of this
foundation. The two men were trying to figure out where everyone was and what
happened to the house. Then they saw a man walking toward the house. It was an
old family friend, Muley Graves. Muley tells Tom that his family ha to move to
his Uncle John’s house because the bank ran them off their land and soon
they’ll be headed west. Muley then explained that the bank is kicking everyone
off the land because of the dust and that they aren’t making a profit so they
are tractoring everyone off the land, everyone but him of course because he
isn’t leaving his land. The there men went into the house to build a fire for
the rabbit that Muley generously offered them. While they were waiting for the
rabbit it cook, they talked briefly about McAlester, Casey talked about his
view on the spirit he has these days, and then they saw lights coming from the
distance. These lights were from the police so they had to hide in the cotton
fields. They his well enough that they police couldn’t find them and just left.
The men knew they couldn’t sleep in the house because it was too risky, so they
went to a camp that Muley has set up for them to sleep for the night.
o
Characters
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Tom Joad
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Jim Casey
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Muley Graves
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Any important symbol or motif
§
The turtle is back again, this time Tom lets it
out of his clothes and the turtle keeps moving just as he did before.
o
Current Events chapter
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Chapter 7
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Theme
§
Exodus
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This chapter cant be connected with exodus
because the people are trying to buy cars in order fro them to travel to the
promise land.
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Brief description of what happens
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This chapter describes people going to used car
lots and trying to buy cars for a decent price. There is also talk of how the
salesmen use different techniques in order to make the most money and how
people get ripped off most of the time.
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Characters
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Used Car Salesmen
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Costumers
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Any important symbol or motif
§
The whole chapter symbolizes how capitalism is
attacking the human race and how people are becoming less and less human in
order to achieve personal gain.
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Poetic Chapter
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Chapter 8
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Theme
§
Strength of Women
·
In this chapter it describes how Ma has to keep
her composure or else the rest of the family will crumble. She has had to
become emotionless so this family says composed.
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Importance of Family
·
When Tom first arrives, he goes to see Pa and he
Pa is so overjoyed that he wants to surprise Ma just the same. Just from the
excitement of Tom return it is obvious that the family didn’t feel whole
without Tom.
o
Brief description of what happens
§
Tom and Casey start their journey from
Tom’s old house to his Uncle John’s house. Tom, swearing that he knows the way,
leads them there with ease. When they arrived Pa was working on turning the cat
they just got and turning into a truck for the journey to California. At first
Pa doesn’t realize who he is talking to, and when he turns around to see who it
is he can hardly contain himself. He was so excited he wanted to surprise Ma
too, so they do and everyone is very excited. Ma ask about how Tom’s mental
state and was relieved when she heard he was all there. Shortly after Tom’s
grandma and grandpa made an appearance and both of them were mighty excited to
see him as well. The family ate breakfast wherever they could find a place to
sit and caught up, but not until Casey said grace. They talked about how his
uncle and some of his siblings were out selling stuff together for the trip,
one of his sisters was not marred to Connie and fixing to have a baby. Just as
they were talking his brother Al came home. They talked for a little while but
Al had to go back into town to sell some things.
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Characters
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Jim Casey
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Tom Joad
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Pa
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Ma
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Grandma
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Grandpa
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Al
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Any important symbol or motif
o
Current Events Chapter
·
Chapter 9
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Theme
§
We vs. I
·
This chapter connects to the theme we vs. I
because it shows the sacrifice that the person selling all of the good for the
benefit of his family. He is trying to sell all of these goods but can’t sell
them for as much as he would like too.
o
Brief description of what happens
§
This chapter describes a man trying to
sell most of what he owns, and he can’t sell them for as much as he wants. The
people he is trying to sell his goods to won’t help him out and won’t pay much
for any of it. Then the women have to destroy everything that the men can sell
in preparation for the move to California.
o
Character
§
Tenants
§
The buyer
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Poetic Chapter
·
Chapter 10
o
Theme
§
The main theme for this chapter is the
importance of family. The family has to work hard and work together in order to
get packed up and ready to leave to California. The fact that they refuse to
leave grandpa also shows how much they need each other.
o
Brief description of what happens
§
Ma talks to Tom because she is worried that
California is not gong to be all the its cracked up to be and Tom says that as
long as you keep your expectations in check, everything will be alright. They
talked about the journey to California and how maybe there won’t be the best
jobs and then Grandpa makes an appearance from the bedroom. And Casey also made
an appearance and he talked about how he wants to go to California with the
Joads but doesn’t want to preach wherever he goes. Ma says he can go as long as
all the men make the final decision. As Al, Uncle John, Pa, Ruthie, Winfield,
Rose of Sharon, and Connie came back from town Al was driving the car and
listening and feeling for any mistakes. He knew that making sure the car ran
was his job and he couldn’t mess that up. Everyone was tired from town and the
men were mad because they only got 18 dollars for everything that they could
possibly sell. They knew the buyer was good at the game and the men didn’t know
how to play it. The little kids said their hellos to Tom and then the men
started their meeting about when they should leave and what not. The meeting
starting and the talked about what needed to happen before they left and when
they’ll leave. They also decided that the preacher could go along with them
seeing as the car was already too full. They had dinner and then started the
preparation for leaving. They started packing up the house and the plan was to
leave by sun up. Ma went into her room, which was mostly empty, and grabbed a
little box that have paper clippings from Tom’s trial along with valuables. She
took out the valuables and burnt up the box with the paper clippings. After the
house was all packed up they went to go get Grandpa, who was looking to hot, and
he said that he wasn’t going, so they drugged him and put him in the truck.
After Al gave them the ok, they headed down the road to the promise land.
o
Character
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Ma
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Grandpa
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Tom
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Casey
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Al
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Uncle John
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Pa
§
Ruthie
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Winfield
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Rose of Sharon
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Connie
§
Noah
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Any important symbol or motif
§
The truck
·
The truck is the only thing that the Joads have
left in their life. This truck is taking them where they need to go to survive.
It is the center of their family. The truck symbolizes the living center of the
family.
o
Current Events Chapter
