Chapter 11

My favorite chapter in the book is chapter 11. This is my favorite chapter because it’s short, but also because it’s descriptive for example on page 115 when he says “And when a horse stops work and goes into the barn there is life and vitality, there is breathing and a warmth, and the feet shift on the straw, and the jaws champ on the hay, and the ears and eyes are alive.” This just really stood out to me because I was able to see the horses standing on the straw and I could them champing on the hay and I could see the eyes and ears and hear the breathing. The theme that I thought was important was the theme of abandonment; people just dropped everything and left. I thought that was important because people were very attached the their land it was how they lived and fed their own families, so just having to leave everything and not know where you will end up or if you will find work is just mind blowing

                My favorite passage is from the same chapter and on page 115 as well. “The heat goes out of it like the living heat leaves a corpse.”  This I my favorite passage because I think it’s interesting how he compares the tractor and the heat leaving it to heat leaving a human corpse.he gones on later to talk about how the farmers didn’t come to the fields and that put the heat or worth of living out of somebody.

-Katie-

Chapter 13

            Chapter 13 was the most engaging and important chapter to me. Reading this chapter went faster than previous chapters because it was more interesting and entertaining. They are finally on their way out west to California. A theme I seen a lot in this chapter is the power of family and friendship. Like when the Joad’s pulled over near the Wilson’s. One of the examples is when Gampa dies and Sairy helps out the family. Another example is when Tom helps fix the Wilson’s car. They are working together towards a common goal of getting to California.

            “Rose of Sharon screamed shrilly. A big swift car whisked near, tires squealed. The dog dodged helplessly, and with a shriek, cut off in the middle, went under the wheels. The big car slowed for a moment and faces looked back, and then it gathered greater speed and disappeared. And the dog, a blot of blood and tangled, burst intestines, kicked slowly in the road.” (pp. 131)

I picked this passage to share because anything that has to do with an animal dying really sticks out to me, because I am an animal lover. I couldn’t image ever losing any of my pets.

Chapter 12

I enjoyed reading chapter twelve a great deal. I found it very interesting because the journey to, and on rout “66” is the physical start to a relatively whole new world. Not only is it the Joad family making the journey across the nation, but thousands of migrant families facing nearly the exact same problem. “66 is the path of people in flight, refugees from dust and shrinking land, from the thunder of tractors and shrinking ownership…” Rout 66 is the true test of survival as many from the era would agree. In specific, it is nearly impossible to buy parts on this journey as stated in the chapter. The theme of survival is imminent.

chapter 13

To me chapter thirteen was my favorite. It had so much detail and so much information in it from the Joads meeting the Wilsons to Grandpa passing away due to a stroke. I feel like it was one of the best cause you saw the family kind of come together as a unit especially when they lost a family member I. It just showed that the Joads are in it for the long haul and they won’t give up no matter what odds are stacked against them.  I think a theme that is starting to be evolved here is that the road to California is going to be harder than the Joads thought it would be.  One of my favorite passages is right after the Grandma made Casey say prayers with her for the grandpa.

 “Granma was still then. And outside the tent all the noise had stopped. A car whished by on the highway. Casey still knelt on the floor beside the mattress. The people outside were listening, standing quietly intent on the sounds of dying. Sairy took Granma  by the arm and led her outside, and Granma moved with dignity and held her head high. She walked for her family and held her head straight for the family. Sairy took her to the mattress lying on the ground and sat her down it. And Granma looked straight ahead, proudly, for she was on show now. The tent was still, and at last Casey spread the tent flaps with his hands and stepped out.”

Just the raw emotion that went through this passage was amazing how no words were said and everyone in the family kind of just had their eyes opened to what had happened and that time stopped for the Joads and Wilsons and for a short moment so did the trip. All they cared about was this moment and how to help it, in anyway possible.

Chapter 13

Chapter 13 was important to me in today's reading because it described the family's first night camping out on their trip to California. It discusses how they had to find wood and go get water so they could start cooking. They also found that Grampa was very sick and not doing well. They took him to their new neighbor’s, the Wilsons, tent that had pulled of the road beside to camp with. Rev. Casy went in to look at Grampa. He saw that he was having a stoke and would not make it. They ended up burying Grampa right there in the field beside where they were camping, because they knew they could not afford a funeral. A theme that I found in this chapter was that it’s not so have help when you’re in need, even if it comes from a couple you just met on the side of the road. Just like the Wilsons said, “There’s no beholden in a time of dying.” This was meaning that you shouldn’t feel obligated, you should just be glad to help.

            I like the passage in chapter 10 when Grampa  told everyone that he was not going with them.

Grampa’s eyes had dulled, and there was none of the old meanness in them. “Ain’t nothin’ the matter with me,” he said. “I jus’ ain’t a-goin’.”

“Not goin’?” Pa demanded. “What you mean you ain’t a-goin’? Why, here we’re all packed up, ready. We got to go. We got no place to stay.”

“I ain’t sayin’ for you to stay,” said Grampa. “You go right on along. Me—I’m stayin’. I give her a goin’-over all night mos’ly. This here’s my country. I b’long here. An’ I don’t give a goddamn if they’s oranges an’ grapes crowdin’ a fella outa bed even. I ain’t a-goin’. This country ain’t no good, but it’s my country. No, you all go ahead. I’ll jus’ stay right here where I b’long.”

 

The Grapes of Wrath-1st Post

The chapter that I found most important was chapter 8. I find this chapter important, because it tells us about Tom’s family. It introduces many of his family members and describes them in great detail. We are able to truly connect with them and understand what they are like. It gives us insight about how Tom looks at some of the members of his family, such as his mom, and how some of his family looks at him, such as Al.  A theme I feel is important in this chapter is the unity of family. It is important for families to get along with one another, to understand one another, and to be able to communicate with one another.

A passage that I found important in my reading was the passage where Old Tom saw Tommy and they were reunited.

Old Tom laid his hammer gently on the floor and put his nails in his pocket. He swung his leg over the side and dropped lithely to the ground, but once beside his son he seemed embarrassed and strange. “Tommy,” he said, “we are goin’ to California. But we was gonna write you a letter an’ tell you.” And he said incredulously, “But you’re back. You can go with us. You can go!” The lid of a coffee pot slammed in the house. Old Tom looked over his shoulder. “Le’s supprise ‘em,” he said, and his eyes shone with excitement. “Your ma got a bad feelin’ she ain’t never gonna see you no more. She got that quiet look like when somebody died. Almost she don’t want to go to California, fear she’ll never see you no more.” A stove lid clashed in the house again. “Le’s supprise ‘em,” old Tom repeated. “Le’s go in like you never been away. Le’s jus’ see what your ma says.” At last he touched Tom, but touched him on the shoulder timidly, and instantly took his hand away.