... he was and the characters acted the way they did. Instead, Steinbeck starts with an intercalary chapter reading: "To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma, the last rains came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth." By starting with some background ... 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 ... of the thirtie...

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

... itself. So the characters have complex psychological backgrounds, which give specificity to them in contrast to the any-men of the shorter, broader chapters. But the Joads then fade into stereotypes because Steinbeck has essentially finished talking about them as individuals. We seldom discover new parts of ... Steinbeck continues in that vein by repeatedly hijacking the narrative voice in order to insert editorial comment. This happens for the most part in the "short lyrical" (Steinbeck xi) chapters that tell the more expansive story of the dispossessed farmers as a whole. For instance,...

• Word Count: 1715
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... of Wrath is such a book, in which a less known historic event that had a great impact on some people and was an important part of history was documented and preserved for the future to see. In The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinback speaks of the ongoing tirade hovering over ... place in Oklahoma. This alternating pattern between passive historical chapters that involve no direct action, and those of historical-fiction chapters, continues to alternate throughout the book, with the historical chapters extending in length from one to three chapters at a time, and the fictional chapters extendi...

• Word Count: 1327
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... whole feeling. The most evident technique he used was his used of plot and intercessory chapters. I only read the first few plot chapters, but by reading those along with the intercessory chapters preceding those I clearly saw how Steinbeck used this technique to paint a clearer picture. In the intercessory chapters Steinbeck tells specific stories which represent events going on in many peoples lives, and they ... of a terrific author. It was the great talent of Steinbeck, which brought this novel to so many people, and gave a great gift of knowledge to me. I was glad to take part in r...

• Word Count: 462
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... holy spirit is and what it means to be holy. Upon his return, Casy has decided that sin and virtue are all part of the same thing- the Emersonian concept of the Oversoul. This states that that the souls of all humans are only ... part of a larger soul that encompasses every one. This is in accordance with socialist belief, that all humans are a part of a whole. Steinbeck's strong transcendentalist inclination also stressed rugged individualism and self reliance as essential for ... It seems that Steinbeck is fascinated with the class of people the Joads represent, and their will to surv...

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

... other, while Lennie and George are often seen to be something special by the outside characters in their story. Also, in The Grapes of Wrath has alternative chapters expressing personal commentary on the general state of America and gives in The Grapes of Wrath a much more encompassing feel; rather than just an isolated view of ... end until the late 30's, but by then it was too late and most of the proclaimed "Okies" had left. The depletion of soil was in part due to poor agriculture practices, and had the sharecroppers not worked the land so hard in the drought it might not have blow...

• Word Count: 1752
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... Joad has just been released from prison. Tom makes a journey back to his father's farm in Oklahoma, where he finds a deserted wasteland. In these first chapters of the novel, Tom Joad is a very selfish and individualistic character, even though the reader can obviously see that he has a strong bond and love for ... his family. At the stage he is at in the first part of the novel, Tom is only concerned with his own wants and desires. These attributes of Tom Joad can be seen through his interactions with some ... had to sacrifice his life, Tom says it does not matter. Tom now truly under...

• Word Count: 953
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... California. The novel is basically divided into three sections: their time in Oklahoma, their journey to a "better" life in California, and their time while in California. It also contains "inter-chapters" that don't focus mostly on the Joads, and rather the situation at hand for all "Okies" on their way to California. The opening chapter describes the lives of farm owners ... a man before, it is agreed Tom must go far away. He is beginning to grasp the late preacher's idea that people must stick together. So he tells Ma before they part that he wants to continue the work Casy started a...

• Word Count: 1730
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... would happen next. "Of mice and men" is a novella. This means it is not as long as a novel, but not as short as a short story. It has parts instead of chapters. Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. He studied marine biology at university, but left in 1925 without taking a degree. He did this because he had now decided that ... , others have a dream of their own, individual needs. Anger and violence are two more themes that run throughout the story. All of the characters are angry in at least one part in the book. They all deal with their anger in their own ways. Many resort...

• Word Count: 525
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

The Red Pony The Red Pony is a short novel that consists of four chapters. It is episodic, meaning that each chapter could stand alone. They are intertwined, and each chapter plays its part in the overall message and themes of the novel. The setting is on a ranch in California in the closing days of the Great Depression. This novel serves as a window to ... ...

• Word Count: 749
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School