... starting with some background information and giving the reader a glimpse of how it was during the depression in the Midwest, Steinbeck makes the book more understandable. The use of the intercalary chapters strengthens the book because anyone fifty million years from now can pick up the text and have a good general understanding of the travels and actions of the Joads. Even though there may have been many "Great Depressions" since the one of the thirties, a reader will still ... though many readers of the book and scholars on Steinbeck's life disagree, the intercalary chapters are bril...

• Word Count: 610
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... Peter Monro Jack says that The Grapes of Wrath is written in "superb style, one marvelous short story after another, and all melting into this long novel of the great trek." The reader strongly agrees with Jack's comment. The use of interchapters greatly adds to the understanding of the background of the novel. This technique provides a broader picture of what is happening to ... The determination of the turtle foreshadows the determination of the Joad family. In chapter 7, the reader is introduced to the Used Car lot and the cheating salesman. The farmers are cheated out of their hard-e...

• Word Count: 646
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School