Grapes of Wrath, The, is a famous novel by the American author John Steinbeck that describes the hardships farm families faced during the Great Depression of the 1930’s. It was published in 1939 and won Steinbeck the 1940 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Like the best of Steinbeck’s works, the novel explores the struggles of poor people.
The Grapes of Wrath tells the story of the Joads, a farming family in Oklahoma. The family farm fails during the drought and dust storms of the 1930’s, and the Joads migrate in a rickety automobile to California in search of a better life as fruit pickers.
Steinbeck effectively demonstrates how the struggles of one family mirror the hardships of the entire nation. Through the inspiration of labor organizer Jim Casy, the Joads learn that the poor must work together to survive. The novel alternates descriptive and philosophical passages with storytelling. It became a best seller and did much to publicize the plight of abused migrant laborers.
The Grapes of Wrath was adapted into a classic motion picture in 1940. John Ford won an Academy Award for his direction.
See also Steinbeck, John.
