"The Grapes of Wrath"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the emergence of the "I to we" theme in "The Grapes of Wrath" and the understanding arrived at by the main characters in the book that the dust bowl catastrophe that has forced them from their land is not just about them, but about everyone. The paper explains that this is the prevailing theme in the book and looks at how it is developed in both the inter-chapters and the plot chapters.

From the Paper:

"Several of the chapters in the novel, about every other chapter, in fact, are not about the Joads themselves, but rather, about the westward migration of people in general, and many other people like the Joads, in their same situation. The "I" versus the "we" in The Grapes of Wrath specifically, how the Joad family along the way becomes less self-centered, less insular in its preoccupations and concerns, and more cognizant of the welfare of others, than when they first set out for California, is reinforced by these more general chapters, about land conditions and problems for migrant workers in general, rather than only about the Joads."

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