Monday, October 1, 2012

Chapter 7 and a passage from chapter 13



            The most engaging chapter for me from the book for today is chapter seven. This chapter is all about a car salesman and what is going through his mind during the rough economic times. The reason I was I enjoyed this chapter the most is because I work on cars and as a hobby I like to buy and sell used cars. Although, I do not try to pull one over on people like this salesman does in this chapter but I have met quite a few “wheeler dealers” with the same mindset of this man. The theme I see that is important in this chapter is the fact that some people take advantage of others who are in times of need. This is important because the Joads are going to have to be aware of the dangers and untrustworthy people they may come across.
            The best passage from the sections for today is in chapter 13. “Tom broke in irritably, “Well, you ain’t never gonna know. Casy tries to tell ya an’ you jest ast the same thing over. I seen fellas like you before. You ain’t askin’ nothin’; you’re jus’ singin’ a kinda song. ‘What we comin’ to?’ You don’ wanta know. Country’s movin’ aroun’, goin’ places. They’s folks dyin’ all aroun’. Maybe you’ll die pretty soon, but you won’t know nothin’. I seen too many fellas like you. You don’t want to know nothin’. Just sing yourself to sleep with a song- ‘What we comin’ to?’” After this Tom goes on to explain that the man at the gas station himself will be moving on. The reason I like this passage is because it gives the feeling of the pain folks during this time are going through. The pain is so severe that people have to go into denial and shelter themselves from the truth. It is sad.

7 comments:

  1. I like this passage too. It shows how they cannot believe what is happening right in front of them.

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  2. I can relate to chapter 7 as well, I've been around cars and car dealerships all my life and I know a good salesman, an honest sales man, from a lying and sketchy salesman with their fake pitches and sketchy motives.

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  3. its sad to think that in terrible times people will still squeeze every drop of dollar out of you. like they tried here.

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  4. Wow excellent thoughts and excerpts here! How easy it must have been back then for someone with the upper hand take advantage of the unfortunate position of others! So sad but true. I really truly feel for those people. The car salesman, (not all but I'm sure more than a had full), acted like vultures just hovering above waiting to feed on the desperation of others. This grieves me to see brother turned against brother in such a way as this. But, on the contrary in chapter 15, I love to see Ma Joad define herself as one who isn't going to "join in with the bandwagon" and show no mercy and milk all that she can get out of people but instead she treats others as she would want to be treated. Respectfully and fairly, acting out the golden rule.

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  5. I do also find this chapter engaging. It gives us insight to not only some car dealers at the time, but we can infer that other business people during this time may also act the same way.

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  6. I really like the way that you compared this chapter to your own life. I think that really helps the reader understand because they are able to relate to the problems at hand.

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  7. I also like this passage. I mean if you were in that position wouldn't you do everything you could to support your family even if it meant taking advantage of others? Just a thought. I don't know if I could hurt someone else just to help myself...

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