... blind him to his responsibilities as a novelist. He tried to follow the ideal of writing truly, without tricks and without cheating. He finished his novel late in 1938, when arose the problem of printable language. Steinbeck warned the publishers that no words must be changed, even `shit-heels` must remain. `The Grapes of Wrath` is evaluated as a document rather as a novel. Even aside from this ... fact, the novel had the vulnerability of all social fiction - it was subject to attack on it facts. Steinbeck was accused of giving an untrue picture of migrants` life (for example in `Grapes ...

• Word Count: 2399
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School

Setting: The book starts out in Oklahoma, during the Dust Bowl of the 1930's. The ground is very dry and there is no work for the farmers. It seems nearly like a desert the way the author portrays it. The Joads find themselves in a Hooverville, or a run down shantytown, a government camp, which is nicer, and eventually a boxcar. They spend most of their time traveling across deserts and plains in their vehicle of choice, a Jalopy. Description of Main Characters: Tom Joad, the first person we meet in the book, was put in the McAlester State Penitentiary for four years for the crime of manslaug...

• Word Count: 2457
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School

... was the worst and longest period of high unemployment and low business activity in modern times. An ecological terror, known as the Dust Bowl, further complicated matters for small farmers. These two phenomena allowed Steinbeck to create his best selling and most influential book, The Grapes of Wrath. To appeal to these victims of the Depression, Steinbeck contained highly socialistic characters and themes that are frequently revealed ... Sinclair's The Jungle. Such literature was often based on social motives, and became an influence on society (Owens 1). In The Grapes of Wrath, Steinb...

• Word Count: 1670
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School