During the 1930s, the farmers and the migrator had to survive in harsh economy when everyone had no spare time to help others however there were some people that reached out their hand to help the helpless in the "mother road". These people, described in The Grapes of Wrath, helps the helpless people even though there are no merits. In the story of a man at the service station, "there was a family of twelve and they were forced off the land. They had no car. They built a trailer out of junk and loaded it with their possessions [...] and a sedan picked them up [...] to California [...] and the man who pulled them fed them" (122) The man at the service station questions why the man who picked them up had "such faith in their own species". (122) John Steinbeck, the author of The Grapes of Wrath, illustrates the events that had happened during the 1930s to show an example of selfless action by the migrators. The stories of the deeds expands the human moral to help people in desperate need. The migrators during the 1930s had one single goal, to go to California so they can rebuild their destroyed life. Because the migrators shared a common goal as well as common background, the drifters grouped together to help each other during the desperate times. The "faith" engenders from the common background and the similar situation during the helpless times. Also, the farmers were mostly educated to upheld their moral deeds in the churches during their childhood so the act to help others are imprinted within their minds. The similar backgrounds and educated moral drives the people to help each other to reach their common goals. Steinbeck describes the selfless actions through the Joad's encounter with the Wilson's family during the travel. Ma would explain "You won't be no burden. Each'll help each [other and] we'll get to California." (148) The Joads show their moral kindness to the people in need of help. The action of the Joads to help the Wilson family illustrates the kindness that Steinbeck conveys to the readers, the kindness that people offer comes from the sense of similarity between the two families as they try to rebuild their life in "California".
Book Source:
-Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Viking, 1939. Print.
Photo Source:
-"The Harvest Gypsies: Cultural References." Steinbeck in the Schools. San Jose State University, n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. <http://as.sjsu.edu/sits/content.jsp?val=works_harvest-gypsies_glossary-cultural-references>.
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