006 The Grapes of Wrath

Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, 1939.

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage."

This is the story of an Oklahoma family, the Joads, who lose their land to banks and migrate westward to find work. Richly developed characters, no speech wasted and every metaphor haunts.

"There ain't nothin' so easy to get ready as a rabbit," he said. He lifted the skin of the back, slit it, put his fingers in the hole, and tore the skin off. It slipped off like a stocking, slipped off the body to the neck, and off the legs to the paws." p. 49

And later in the book, the skinned rabbit metaphor is evoked by farmer's tans on men.

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I've returned this book since starting this entry so can no longer quote from it. I will say that the female characters, particularly Mother Joad and later her daughter, Rosasharn, are tough if not tougher 'n the men.

In short, the book is about a family sticking to their values despite suffering poverty and hunger.