You need to take notes as you read Grapes of Wrath. The notes will be turned in on the first day of school. If you are having a hard time knowing what to take notes on, here are some guiding questions. You do NOT have to answer each and every one of these. They are to give you focus as you read.
Chapter 1 (The scorched and dusty land)
1. How does the imagery contribute to the theme of the chapter? Use specific examples of imagery to illustrate your idea and clarify what you think the theme is.
2. In what way is the death of the corn portrayed as a life or death struggle? Why does this matter?
3. The women would watch to see if this time the men would break. What is insinuated here?
Chapter 2 (Tom hitches a ride home)
1. What are some inferences we can make about the truck’s bumper sticker “no riders?” What does this say about the society?
2. What about Tom’s appearance makes the driver guess that Tom has been subject to hard labor? Use specifics from the text.
3. What about the driver annoys Tom? Use specifics from the text.
Chapter 3 (Turtle chapter)
1. How do the two cars react differently to the turtle? What might this be symbolic of?
2. How does the turtle’s adventure across the highway help to spurn on new life? (specifics from text)
Chapter 4 (Tom meets up with the preacher, Jim Casy. Both head slowly to the old Joad farm)
1. How is the description of Casy somewhat similar to the description of the turtle in chapter 3? Use specifics from the text.
2. Why does Casy “fall from grace” and how does he come to terms with it?
3. What details about Casy show a questioning mind?
4. What can we tell about Uncle John by the end of the chapter?
Chapter 5 (Owners and the bank take land from profitless farmers)
1. How do the tractors operate?
2. What details suggest the devastation of the farmers who are kicked off the land?
3. What role does the bank play? What power do the small farmers have against the banks and the tractors?
Chapter 6 (Casy and Tom meet up with Muley to learn about the fate of Tom’s Family and the current state of affairs)
1. What is the immediate connection to the end of the previous chapter?
2. What clue leads Tom to conclude that all the Joad’s neighbors are also gone, and how does that relate to the story of Albert Rance?
3. In the humorous story regarding Grandpa and Albert Rance, what is the theme?
4. What details show that Muley is a character who is wiser than he appears?
5. Despite being a convicted murderer, Tom is emerging as a likeable, decent, and moral man. What details support this?
Chapter 7 (The car salesmen)
1. How are the car salesmen able to justify taking advantage of the farmers?
2. How does the style the chapter was written add to the theme of the chapter?
Extension question: Is Chapter 7 an accurate portrayal of how business/capitalism works?
Chapter 8 (Tom comes home and finds his family getting ready to move out)
1. Describe the relationship between Granma and Grampa.
2. Explain Ma’s fears. How can this be applied to what you think will happen in the rest of the book?
3. Describe a juxtaposition in this chapter. Explain its significance.
Chapter 9 (Leaving behind one life because you can’t take it with you)
1. How do the men and the women treat the material symbols of the past differently? Why?
2. The word “bitterness” is referred to repeatedly in this chapter. Explain why using the text to back up your idea.
3. Pick an item (there are many to choose from) and explain its symbolism.
Chapter 10 (The family packs up and takes off in the early morning hours)
1. What is Ma Joad’s fear?
2. What does Tom learn from a ‘fella’ about what is really going on in CA? How does Ma prove him wrong?
Why do you think Casy is so appealing to the Joad clan?
4. Uncle John does not live in moderation with either his drinking or eating. Explain.
5. Why is Tom’s status as a parolee significant in respect to the family’s plans?
6. Because Casy was “a good preacher (who) knew his people,” what does he decide to do during the Joad family discussion?
7. What did Ma Joad do with her box of memorabilia?
8. In what way is Grampa like Muley by the end of the chapter?
Chapter 11 (The evolution of vacant houses)
1. How does man’s relationship with the land change under machineries influence?
2. Who eventually takes over the empty houses?
Chapter 12 (Tale of life on the road in untrustworthy vehicles)
1. Why does the structure of the novel (the order of the in-between chapters) change? Think about what is going on and what it reflects or symbolizes.
Chapter 13 (Family’s trek. Grampa, the Wilsons)
1. Why does Al feel such responsibility for the welfare of the car? Why had he become the “soul of the car”? [167] 2. Explain the gas station worker’s distrust.
3. What does the dog’s death symbolize? Explain. Can you make any parallels to other symbols? According to Casy, why do folks always move? [173]
4. After Grampa’s death, Granma “walked for the family and held her head straight for the family.” [188] In this regard, both Granma and Ma Joad are similar. Explain the role of women in the novel so far.
5. What do you think is the most important line [insightful, or relevant to Casy’s philosophy] in Casy’s eulogy? Why?
6. What is the significance of the relationship between the Wilsons and the Joads?
Chapter 14 (The beginning of change for those who own last in the west)
1. What is the relationship between man and work?
Chapter 15 (The truck stop and diner perspective)
1. Which of the diner’s clientele are the most highly valued and why?
2. What does Mae mean whey she says that she’ll “keep (her) eye on the hose” to the man who asks for water?
3. Explain the conflict with the bread.
4. How does Mae show evidence of a softer side as the chapter progresses?
5. How do the truck drivers react to Mae’s generosity?
Chapter 16 (Car breaks down, first camp that charges, Tom sleeps on the road)
1. Where do Rose and Connie hope to live (in general)? How is that symbolic?
2. What is Tom’s plan and why doesn’t Ma like it?
3. What are Casy’s observations about the traffic he sees on Route 66? What is Casy worried about?
4. Why do you think the junk yard worker gets so mad when his boss asks “They’s a dance; how’d you like to go?”
5. What is Tom’s advice to the man?
6. Compare Tom’s reaction to accidentally hitting the rabbit to Al’s reaction when he fails to hit a cat near the side of the road.
7. As Tom is considering whether or not to sleep roadside, the owner warns him about what law?
8. What did the ‘ragged man’ teach the Joads?
9. Why did the owners print so many copies of the orange handbill?
10. What did the ‘ragged man’ lose during his one year stint in California?
Chapter 17 (A narrative look at life in the camps)
1. What ‘strange thing’ happens in the evening in the camps? What happens to that ‘strange thing’ in the morning? 2. How do these social units evolve as people move westward?
3. Name some of the assumed ‘rights’ of the migrants in the camps.
4. What constitutes unacceptable violations in the camps? If someone does violate the camp’s laws, what two punishments might they face. Which is worse?
5. The migrant worries used to be centered around farming. What do they worry about now?
6. What is the theme of this chapter? What point is Steinbeck making?
Chapter 18 (Family reaches CA, Noah, Granma, Confrontation with the law)
1. What does the man mean when he says that California was ‘stole a long time ago’?
2. The man explains that Joads will be hated by the owners. Why do the owners hate the okies?
3. How does Casy criticize the idea of being ‘rich’?
4. Many of the Joads are bothered by the warnings they’ve heard. The man says that most people in California are ‘purtymis’able.’ What is Uncle John’s take on the man’s advice?
5. Why does Noah make the decision he does?
6. How would you describe Ma’s reaction to the woman who wants to pray for Granma?
7. The Joads are nervous about crossing the desert in their old car. How do they justify the crossing anyway?
8. What happened to Ma and Granma during the night journey through the desert? Why did Ma make the decision she did?
Chapters 19 through 24: You’re on your own. Hopefully by now you have a feel for what to look for in the novel.
Chapter 25 (Farmers who can’t afford to sell destroy their crops, title of book)
1. Why would farmers let the fruit die on the trees and the ground?
2. Even the most intelligent farmers cannot create a fair system to do what?
3. Why were the men with kerosene “angry at the crime”?
4. Explain how this chapter ties into the title of the book. What is the symbolism?
Chapter 26 (Family is running out of food and leaves gov’t camp, Joads find work and protesters up north, Casy, Tom’s reaction, Joad’s leave camp)
1. How does Ma treat Pa differently than Tom? Why? What does this say about Tom’s character?
2. Why do the Joads leave the government camp? Support this with evidence from the text.
3. What details do you notice about the man who directs the Joads to Hooper Ranch? What do those details reveal about the man?
4. How does the store clerk in the camp justify the raised prices?
5. According to Ma Joad, who should you turn to if you need help? What is the logic in this?
6. Casy shows up again. What is he arguing for? How does he make the argument?
7. What are the effects of the life they lead on the different members of the Joad family? Support with evidence from the text.
8. How has power shifted within the Joad family? Who seem to be the strongest in the toughest circumstances?
Extension Questions: What are your thoughts on Casy’s argument? How does it make sense? What are the problems with it? How does it apply to present day society?
Chapter 27 (Picking Cotton)
1. Though the work might be good now, there’s always danger in tomorrow. Explain.
Chapter 28. (Family finds a box car and short term cotton work. Tom. Winter rain)
1. What are Tom’s arguments for working/living together, rather than by oneself?
2. Tom almost becomes God like [omnipresent] in his rhetoric of his new path in life. Explain.
3. Why would Rose have the reaction she does when she hears about Al’s wedding?
4. The family got up early to pick cotton, but upon arriving at the farm, Al notes that ‘We ain’tso early as we thought.” Explain.
5. What forces are the pickers battling against during the short day of work?
Chapter 29 and 30
No need for questions, right? You wouldn’t read this far and not read the last two chapters. Think about symbolism and the novel wraps up.