... - or herself the events in his novels. For one instance, in the opening chapter of A Farewell to Arms, he states that an epidemic sweeps through an army outpost, killing "only" about 15,000 men. No comment on the tragedy. No explanation about how 15,000 men are of such little value to the people running the war. Just a line or two that imply the tragedy and ... , rather than let the story make a more subtle point. The Joads exist to add specificity to the "short lyrical" informational chapters, which are the core of the book. The book begins with one of those chapters, not with the Joads....

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