Maturation through Suffering in Steinbeck's Novel The Grapes of Wrath

Abstract

The current study explores the development of the central characters in John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath (1939) by approaching it thematically and analytically. These characters move west to California as a result of the Great Depression which was followed by the Dust Bowl of the 1930s affecting the Great Plains and the states of Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas and creating plight and horror. In The Grapes of Wrath, the fictional characters move west seeking labor, security, and personal dignity. Some of them die, others starve and become without values. Fortunately, the Joads develop a sense of unity with their fellow emigrants who share the same experience of displacement and exploitation by capitalists. Four main results are the outcome of this study. Firstly, Steinbeck's success in documenting a modern tragedy by employing social realism is evident in this novel. Secondly, the central characters grow and develop social awareness through suffering. Thirdly, Symbols and imagery in the novel create a lasting-effect in the reader's mind. Finally, man can learn from negative experiences positive values.