Oedipus the King- Critical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Oedipus the King- Critical Analysis - Essay Example However, in the end we find out that this prophecy came true despite Oedipus’ attempt to steer clear of those results. In Oedipus the King, Sophocles makes it clear fate, choices, and one’s personality all go hand in hand. Before making an in-depth analysis of the story with respect to the thesis stated above, it is customary to make a quick go through the story. Laius, the King of Thebes is warned by Delphic oracle not to marry Jocasta because if he does, the couple would give birth to a baby who would kill Laius and marry Jocasta. Being ignorant towards the advice of the oracle, Laius marries Jocasta. Upon the birth of the child, Oedipus, Laius pierces the child’s ankle and leaves him unattended on a hill to die. A shepherd takes the child and delivers him to King Polybos in Corinth. The Delphic oracle finds Oedipus and tells him that he is destined to assassinate his father and sleep with his mother. Having heard such a dreadful decision of the destiny, Oedipu s resolves to run away from his family so that he would be able to make sure that he never commits the sin. On his way to Thebes, he encounters a stranger at a junction of three roads who happens to be Oedipus’s real father, Laius. Oedipus kills Laius, who is a stranger to him and proceeds to Thebes. As he reaches Thebes, he defeats the Sphinx and is rewarded with the position of the King of Thebes. He marries Jocasta in this position as she happens to be the queen. Jocasta somehow comes to know that Laius has been killed by a group of robbers. After a span of sixteen years or more, Thebes catches plague. As per his commitment with the public, Oedipus searches for the killer of Laius and ultimately gets to know that he himself is the person he has been looking for. Having realized the truth, Jocasta hangs herself to death and Oedipus loses his eye sight. The Chorus mourns the sorrowful destiny of King Oedipus. One of the most fundamental themes of this play is fate and the fa ct that it is beyond human power to escape fate. What is destined to happen, will happen at any cost and there is no way escaping it. This is what has happened with two main characters in the story, i.e. Laius and King Oedipus. By not paying heed to the divine warning made by oracle Delphic against his decision of marrying Jocasta, Laius essentially committed two sins; First, he went against the will of god and married Jocasta. Secondly, the act of leaving the newborn baby to hillside to no one’s discretion put Laius into guilt for the rest of his life. Laius resolved to leave the child alive on the hillside so that there would be at least one per cent chance of his survival (Vellacott 139). To this end, all that happened with Laius seems quite justified and reasonable since he had originally gone against the will of god. What is more important and yet, more difficult to comprehend is the reason for which Oedipus had to go through all the shameful experiences and reach the tr agic destination of blindness. Obviously, this had to happen since the oracle had warned Laius regarding the association of the very future with his act of marrying Jocasta at the outset. So Oedipus had to be the very son of Laius who was destined to be murderer and adulterer. But it seems just too unjust for Oedipus to be the victim of Laius’s mistake since he was innocent in whatever he did because that was done unintentionally and not knowingly. However, the author does seem to make sense for punishing

GEOGRAPHY 141 PROJECT 2 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

GEOGRAPHY 141 PROJECT 2 - Term Paper Example The article sheds light on environmental degradation occasioned by the deforestation in search of wood fuel or emission from kerosene stoves. The stove developed is partly some of the strategies that Keberenge suggests should be rolled out mostly in rural Kenya to save the environment. Chanji, Tobias. Nema threatens to sue Coast hotels for pollution. 19 February 2013 . 15 April 2013 . Coastal city is a major tourist destination city in Kenya. Nonetheless, the article raises concerns regarding some of the hotels in the city that fail to treat the effluent from their hotels before releasing them to the environment. The article further sounds a warning that if expeditious measures are not taken to address the issue Kenya might lose out on tourists who are the major contributors to the foreign exchange. Njoroge, Karanja. Nairobi sewage chocked by population. 2 December 2012. 4 April 2013 . The article essentially talks about the strain that population growth in Nairobi is having on the i nfrastructure and more so the sewerage system. According to Njoroge, the sewerage system than serves Nairobi metropolis was meant to serve a population of one million in 1961 when it was constructed. Unfortunately, the same system is being used 50 years later to serve a population that is three times more to that of 1961. The impact has been constant bursting of sewerage system causing environmental and health hazards to the city residents. Nyasato, Robert. Experts worried about waste disposal in Kisii. 07 April 2013. 15 April 2013 . The article by Nyasato tackles the red flag raised by Richard Omboga, who is a waste management consultant based in Kisii County, regarding the inappropriate disposal of solid waste in the county. Omboga is worried that if nothing is done to provide appropriate dumping site from household and medical facilities, then the lives of the residents around is endangered. He further asserts that the garbage and other solid wastes are toxic and if allowed to be swept by running water it could harm the communities that utilize the water. Basically, the author raises concerns over unavailability of proper waste dumping site in Kisii County. Nyong'o, Anyang'. Our future lies in rapid urbanisation but we are not planning for it. 14 October 2012. 14 April 2013 . The article covers the strain of resources orchestrated by rapid urbanization. The authors raises concern that the developmental and urbanizations of Kenya is likely to face hurdles as no structures are being put in place to match the developmental agenda. Otieno, Jeckonia. Cement firm dust chokes residents’ lives. 26 February 2013. 15 April 2013 . The article talks about the environmental impacts of a cement manufacturing factory located long Mombasa-Nairobi Highway. Otieno Jeckonia, who is

Story so powerful and so moving Essay Example for Free

Story so powerful and so moving Essay By what methods does Arthur Miller make Willy Lomans story so powerful and so moving? In Arthur Millers play Death of a salesman he tells the story of the frustrated Willy Loman who has spent his whole life striving for a dream which he has not made possible by the end of his never truly fulfilled career. It is a very powerful play as it gives us a direct insight into the complicated and mixed up workings of a tired, confused mind. I am going to look at the techniques Miller uses to do this so effectively. Arthur Miller has created a strong character to portray is tale. Willy Loman is a very ordinary man living out his life. Miller opens us up to his thoughts and actions and brings us into his world, and through this shows us the evils of capitalism and the shallowness of the all American dream, which was so predominantly important in so many peoples lives. The point that miller is making is that this perfect image of wealth and professional respect is so unachievable for most people and they will spend their whole lives striving for something that is so unimportant, and torturing themselves over the fact that they have not succeeded. Willy is not a heroic figure who has fallen, or a pitiful soul who has achieved greatness. He is true to life, living out tragedies and successes like every other man. He is not always admirable, he has his weaknesses as a man and especially as a husband; he is rude to his wife and unfaithful. Willy: why do you get American when I like Swiss? Linda: I just thought youd like a change Willy: I dont want a change! I want Swiss cheese, why am I always being contradicted This also demonstrates another important aspect of Willys character. He hates change, in a way he avoids it, which is another reason he is this way. He hasnt changed with the times and still has the same viewpoints about things that he did when he was young. This emphasises how confused he is, he seems lost in his own world. Willys imperfections bring us closer to him as a character as it is much easier to compare ourselves and the people we know to a flawed spirit like him. Miller is highlighting the excessive and unnecessary emphasis that is put upon wealth in modern society. A man like Willy Loman feels like a failure to his family because he hasnt become rich. He is desperate to impress his sons but wants them to fulfil his dream for him and so has missed out on building proper relationships with them and has taken their actions in life the wrong way. Such as Biffs desire to be a simple man, with no need for material possessions. Willy takes this as a failure as it is not what he sees to be a strong image of a successful man. When in fact Biff is much more admirable as he has realised the pitiful route his father has gone down and why he has ended up the way he is. Willy doesnt appreciate that he doesnt want to be part of the corporate machine that his father and brother are, striving constantly to be the best. Happy however is the opposite and is blind to the fact that his fathers business has ruined him and he is quickly heading down the same path. He has sold out to the American dream and when he realises, like his father, that he may not have all the money and glory that he expects, he may become a very dangerous and bitter man. Figure it out. Work a lifetime to pay off a house. You finally own it, and theres nobody to live in it This tells us at the beginning of the act, Willys feelings about his sons. It makes him very troubled that they have left home, his whole life since their birth has been for his sons. Arthur Miller was accused of being a communist and being against American democracy, Which is perhaps why he chooses to focus on these issues so much in his plays. It means that his feelings on the subject of capitalism come from direct experience with the American government and I think this comes across in his writing. Miller has created a very poignant character in Willy, which makes the story very powerful. It is very easy to feel sympathy for someone when they are failing in so many ways as Willy is, and has not fulfilled their potential. Arthur Miller makes Willys character very pathetic in certain scenes, in particular when he is in his boss Howards office and is begging him not to fire him. Howard: then thats that then, heh? Willy: all right, Ill go to Boston tomorrow. Howard: no, no Willy: I cant throw myself on my sons, Im not a cripple! Howard: look kid Im busy this morning Willy: (grasping Howards arm) Howard, youve got to let me go to Boston! Willy is begging this man not to fire him, not to force him to admit to the fact that he is in trouble, that things arent going, as he would wish. And most importantly to Willy, not showing himself up as a failure to his sons. It is pitiful to see a grown man begging this way and is almost heartbreaking. Willy is so proud in front of his family that he would regress to feeling like a piece of fruit in front of this man just to keep up appearances. The fact that Howard calls Willy kid is also quite significant as this is very humiliating for Willy as he is older than Howard and has been working for the company longer than he has. Willy often does this, acting differently in front of different people; this is another way in which Miller shows us how confused and insecure a man he is. He is constantly keeping up all these pretences and as the audience we know that the other characters see straight through them, while Willy thinks he has quite successfully fooled everyone and especially himself. Miller makes Willys conversations with people very strange in a way to make Willy seem completely out of it. He contradicts himself and imagines things, which really shows that he is in his own little world and terribly confused within it. Biff is a lazy bum! Theres one thing about Biff-hes not lazy. These sentences are about three lines apart and are very effective. I think another reason Willy comes across as slightly mad is because his brain is thinking on many different levels-past, present, future, and the subconscious. Miller uses the different parts and levels of the stage to represent this. Instead of thinking like this inside his head as most of us do, he thinks them very openly but has similar frustrations to us all. What he was meant to achieve, what is the point of his life. Linda is very patient and humours him always, which accentuates the desperation of the situation. Willy: why dont you open a window in here, for gods sake? Linda: (with infinite patience) theyre all open, dear.

Importance of Play in Children Development

Importance of Play in Children Development Play is special. Not only is it fun, but it is very important to childrens development. Play is one of the most important means by which children learn. Through natural activity they create roles that imitate adult behavior. Children think, create, imagine, communicate, make choices, solve problems, take risks, build physical skills and take on a variety of roles as they interact socially. Play is essentially motivating and offers children the freedom to explore an activity tolerant by adult parameters of measured outcomes, testing and accountability. Play supports learning, promotes language and social development and enhances creativity in children and adults. Children who learn healthy play skills feel capable, have successes, make friends and learn non-violent ways to interact with others. Children learn more efficiently and effectively through play than one can imagine. The beauty of this learning and growing time is that the motivation for a young child to do it is already ther e-its enjoyable. The Development of Play The surreptitious to helping young children succeed, is to keep the spirit of creativity and of playful learning alive and active. Childrens learning is a mixture of their own deep inner force to grow and learn attached with their imitation of the adults in their environment. An important milestone in play, the capacity for make-believe play also known as fantasy play occurs at around two and a half or three years of age. Before that, children are more oriented to the real world: their own bodies, simple household objects like pots, pans, and wooden spoons, and simple toys like dolls, trucks, and balls. Toddlers imitate what they see around them; common play themes include cooking, caring for baby, driving cars or trucks, and other everyday events. These themes continue and develop after age three, but now children are less dependent on real objects and create what they need from anything that is at hand. Their ability to enter into make-believe allows them to transform a simple object into a play prop. The three-year-old becomes so engaged in make-believe play that objects seem to be in a regular state of transformation. No play episode is ever finished; it is always in the process of becoming something else. The playful three-year-old often leaves a trail of objects as her play evolves from one theme to the next. In contrast, four-year-olds are generally more stationary and thematic in their play. They like to have a house to play in, which might also be a ship or a shop, and many enter the pack-rat stage where they fill their houses with objects so that it seems they cannot freely move around. This does not bother them at all, however. Like three-year olds, they are inspired in the moment by the objects before them. They are quite spontaneous in their ideas for play. The fantasy play of the five-year old is characterized by the ability to have an idea and then play it out rather than being encouraged in the moment by the object at hand as is the case with three and four year olds. Often, five-year olds will say what they want to play as they enter the kindergarten. There is one more important aspect to the development of make-believe plays that usually does not occur until children are six years old. At this age they will often play out a situation without the use of props. They may build a house but leave it unfurnished, then sit inside it and talk through their play, for now they are able to see the images clearly in their minds eyes. This stage can be described as imaginative play, for the children now have the capacity to form a well expressed inner image. In all of these stages of dramatic play children may play alone or with others. However, the way children engage in social play with others changes over the years. The one year old tends to play alone, while social play of two year-olds is generally called parallel play for young children play side by side without fully interacting with each other. The children enjoy playing with each other, but generally they are not deeply invested in each other. They enjoy playing together when they are in nursery school, but tend to forget about each other when they are apart. The social play of five and six year olds is different. The doors to deeper social relationships are opening for them. They form friendships and talk about their friends at home. They think about their friends when they are apart. They may want to call them on the phone or visit in their homes. Rationale for Play Informal play settings allow children to practice language skills involving vocabulary, syntax and grammar. English language learners particularly benefit from language interactions during play. These language skills later assist with reading, writing and math development. All the processes involved in plays such as repeating actions, making connections, extending skills, combining materials and taking risks provide the essential electrical impulses to help make connections and interconnections between neural networks, thus extending childrens capabilities as learners, thinkers and communicators. Physical: Play is an integral part of the growth of a healthy child. lt fosters opportunities to develop large and small motor skills as well as coordination, balance and muscle tone. Active Movement provides an outlet for children to release energy and challenges their developing physical bodies. The ancient Greeks recognised the value of play in the developmental and growth period of childhood. Experts in todays world of education also believe that play is essential. Social: Educators know children learn best in situations that are non-threatening, flexible and fun. Self-selected play joins children of like interests in situations where they can engage in self-directed conversations. Creating opportunities for play can lower stress and help prevent violence by offering safe and acceptable situations for interaction. In the early childhood classroom most students engage in age-appropriate conversation with their peers. Shared interests encourage them to pay attention to others, ask questions, offer help, make suggestions and provide feedback. Intellectual: Children benefit greatly when they are occupied in interactive play and are free to share their k knowledge with other children. Curriculum is more effective when presented with materials that are open-ended can be easily manipulated. Through spontaneous and creative play with a minimum of teacher intervention children are free to grow and manifest their understanding of concepts. Emotional During play children are able to control situations that are not theirs in the real world. By exploring possibilities in play situations, children display confidence and competence as they plan and make decisions. Play provides a place where children can act out feelings about difficult emotional events they may face. Vygotsky believed that children involved in imaginative play will renounce what they want, and willingly subordinate themselves to rules in order to gain the pleasure of the play. He argues that in play they exercise their greatest self-control. ln a Vygotskian model, if we accept the distinction between play as such and play in schools we can see that in order for play to be valued it needs to be located securely within the curriculum structure and organizational framework. Clarifying the role of adults in this process is, therefore, essential. Stages of Play Play is spontaneous, observables, solitary or parallel, associative, symbolic and cooperative. Positive unrestricted play can be a joyous activity that reaps many rewards. Children generally play by building on their previous experiences. They may engage in any of the different types of play at any time. When children are in a healthy environment, they progress through each stage at their own level of development. . Unoccupied Play. Children learn by observing others without interaction. . Onlookers. Children focus intently on watching others play. They may engage in conversation but do not otherwise participate. . Solitary or independent play. Children play by themselves with no interest in what others are doing even if they are physically close. . Parallel play. Children play alongside others with similar objects such as blocks; however, they do not play with each other but side by side separately. . Associative play. Children engage in the same play activity without an organised goal. They may share blocks or tools but do not build the same structure. . Cooperative Play. Children are organised, have a specific goal and have a sense of belonging to a group. It is the beginning of teamwork and doing projects where they work or play together Conclusion As play disappears from the background of childhood, we need to recognise that its downfall will have a lasting impact. Decades of persuasive research have shown that without play, childrens physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development is compromised. They will develop without much imagination and creativity. Their capacity for communication will be reduced and their affinity towards aggressiveness and violence will increase. In short, human nature as we have known it will be deeply changed, increasing many of the problems that are already afflicting children and society. If we do not invest in play, we will find ourselves investing much more in prisons and hospitals, as the incidence of physical, and mental illness, as well as aggressive and violent behavior increases.

Truth of the Myths of Nature :: Philosophy Nature Papers

Truth of the Myths of Nature The term "nature myths" designates narratives presenting what-is as intelligible in terms of value and meaning. Such narratives function to motivate ecological activism by articulating such presuppositions as the conviction that what we do matters, destruction of nature is intrinsically wrong, and the possibility of nondestructive human beings. However, such narratives motivate only if they are regarded in some sense as true. The question is, in what sense? Not in an objectivist sense (e.g. von Ranke), since value-even if intrinsic-is a subject related reality. Not in an idealist sense (e.g. Cassirer), since they respect the autonomy of reality. Nor in a "depth" sense of expressing an alleged "essential condition of guilt" (e.g. Heidegger and Patocka), since this would remain a positivist description, albeit one level removed. Instead, I propose treating nature myths as orienting the world (e.g. Jaspers) and guiding human components therein. As such, nature myths can be said to be tr ue (as in Ricoeur’s "adamic" myth) or false (as in the myth of "Man the Master") inasmuch as they provide or fail to provide adequate guidance for sustainable coexistence with all of the Earth. The purpose of this paper is to ask in what sense, if any, ecological nature myths can be said to be not only ennobling and moving, but also in some significant sense true, able to claim a validity independent of the assent of those who tell and hear them. I wish to use the term myth rather broadly to indicate not only the alleged spontaneous outpourings from the depth of our psyche, dear to romantically inclined philosophers and psychologists, but rather all narratives which describe the cosmos and the place of humans therein in terms of relations of value and meaning rather than in terms of mathematico-causal relations in spacetime. (1) In the quaint terminology of Husserl's Ideen II, they are personalistic narratives, rendering reality intelligible in terms of personal — that is, intrinsically subject-related — categories. (2) Such narratives in fact play a crucial role in the effort to forge a sustainable mode of coexistence between humans and the rest of the creation. Humans may select the means for dealing with ecological damage in the light of natural scientific analysis but they are moved to deal with it at all by mythico-poetic articulation rather than by theoretical reconstruction of their lived experience. Thus Rachel Carson, rigorous analytical chemist, moved her fellow humans by evoking their empathy through value laden poetic imagery.

Friedrich Nietzsche Essay -- Philosophy

Despite being one of the greatest philosophers of the last millennium, Friedrich Wilhem Nietzsche may also be the most misunderstood. He has become a walking paradox. Today he is regarded as one of the most important thinkers, yet in his lifetime, he could hardly give away his books. Sigmund Freud revered him as one of the great minds in the history of psychoanalysis, yet Nietzsche went insane at the age of 44. He publicly detested German culture, yet German soldiers received copies of his book, Thus Spoke Zarathustra during World War I. Nietzsche also abhorred Nationalism, yet Adolf Hitler misinterpreted his work, using it as an influence for Mein Kampf and a building block for the Nazi eugenics movement, which created a tremendous amount of notoriety for Nietzsche. Regardless, Friedrich Nietzsche’s works remain some of the most influential additions to modern day philosophy, several of which are still very prevalent today. Friedrich Nietzsche was born on October 15th, 1844 in RÃ ¶cken, a small farming village in Prussia. Nietzsche’s father, Carl Ludwig Nietzsche was a Lutheran pastor while his mother, Franziska Oehler was a former schoolteacher. Nietzsche's paternal side had a strong history in Lutheran studies dating back two generations. However, his personal experiences with religion were limited after his father died from a brain aneurysm when Nietzsche was five years old. After his father passed, Nietzsche's family moved to Naumburg an der Saale. Beginning in 1858, Nietzsche attended Schulpforta, a renowned boarding school only a few miles from his home in Naumburg. Schulpforta had a strong emphasis on religion, ironically; this is where Nietzsche began to question the state of religion after reading works including David S... ...e, Friedrich W. The Birth of Tragedy. Print. Nietzsche, Friedrich W., and Walter A. Kaufmann. Beyond Good and Evil. New York: Vintage, 1989. Print. Nietzsche, Friedrich W., and Walter A. Kaufmann. The Gay Science. New York: Vintage, 1974. Print. Nietzsche, Friedrich W. Human, All Too Human. Lincoln: University of Nebraska, 1984. Print. Nietzsche, Friedrich W. "Nietzche's Letters: 1887." Nietzche' s Letters: 1887. Web. 01 May 2012. . Nietzsche, Friedrich W., Walter A. Kaufmann, and R. J. Hollingdale. The Will to Power. New York: Random House, 1967. Print. Schaberg, William H. The Nietzsche Canon: A Publication History and Bibliography. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1995. Print. Wicks, Robert, "Friedrich Nietzsche", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2011 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.),.

Grapes of Wrath

Krystal Giffen The Grapes of Wrath Part 1: Literary Analysis 1. A. â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ËœWhat’s this call, this sperit? ’ An’ I says, ‘It’s love†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (page 23, Chapter 4). This quote is an example of an metaphor. The use of this metaphor was to show the reader why the preacher doesn’t preach anymore. The effect the metaphor had on the reader was, for them to see how the preacher really viewed ‘the sperit’. B. â€Å"One cat’ takes and shoves ten families out. Cat’s all over hell now†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg. 8, Chapter 2). This quote is an example of symbolism. The truck driver uses the animal cat to describe the people who tractor out croppers from their crops and homes.The effect of using a cat to describe someone was negative. The cat description made the reader view the person who tractors out croppers as evil, cunning and thoughtless. C. â€Å"†¦ The Bank -or the Company-needs-wants-insists-must have -as though the Bank or the Company were a monster, with thought and feeling which had ensnared them. † (pg. 31, Chapter 5). This quote is an example of an epic simile. The use of his simile is to show the reader that the Bank or Company that takes the land acts as a monster, being mean and cold. D. â€Å"Can you live without the willow tree? Well, no, you can’t.The willow tree is you. The pain of that mattress there – that dreadful pain – that’s you. † (pg. 89, Chapter 9). This quote is an example of a metaphor. The use of this metaphor is to relate all of the families belongings to them, that the belongings are indeed part of them. The effect of this metaphor is to show the reader how much the families belongings actually meant to them. E. â€Å"Damn it,’ he said, ‘a pick is a nice tool (umph), if you don’ fight it (umph). You an’ the pick (umph) workin’ together (umph)’ (pg. 298, Chapter 22). This quote is an example of Epizeuxis.The use and effect of this epizeuxis is to show emphasis on how heavy the pick was and how hard it was to work back then. The epizeuxis helps the reader image Tom working in the hot sun with the heavy pick, working for just twenty-five cents an hour. 2. A. â€Å"You know the land is poor. You’ve scrabbled at it long enough, God knows. The squatting tenant men nodded and wondered and drew figures in the dust, and yes, they knew, God knows†¦ The owner men went on leading to their point: You know the land’s getting poorer†¦ If they could only rotate the crops they might pump blood back into the land.Well, it’s too late†¦ A man can hold land if he can just eat and pay taxes; he can do that. Yes, he can do that until his crops fail one day and he has to borrow money from the bank†¦ a bank or a company can’t do that, because those creatures don’t breathe air, don’t eat side-meat. They breather profi ts; they eat the interest on money†¦ Can’t we just hang on? Maybe the next year will be a good year. God knows how much cotton next year†¦ Next year, maybe†¦ We can’t depend on it. The bank-the monster has to have profits all the time. It can’t wait. It’’ die.No, taxes go on†¦ The tenant system won;t work anymore†¦ You’ll have to get off the land. The plow’ll go through the dooryard† (pg. 33, Chapter 5). The significance of this passage is that it shows how the Banks would take the land from the croppers and how the croppers were crushed. This passage relates to the work as a whole because it shows the reader how the migration to the west started, how hundreds of families would get evicted from their land and forced to move elsewhere. B. â€Å" ‘Who’s in here? ’ Ma asked. ‘What is it you want, mister? ’ ‘What you think I want?I want to know who’s in here. â €™ ‘Why, they’s jus’ us three in here. Ma an’ Granma an’ my girl. ’ ‘Where’s your men? ’ ‘Why they went down to clean up. We was drivin’ all night. ’ ‘Where’d you come from? ’ ‘Right near Sallisaw, Oklahoma. ’ ‘Well, you can’t stay here. ’ ‘We aim to get out tonight an’ cross the desert, mister. ’ ‘Well you better. If you’re here tomorra this time I’ll run you in. We don’t want none of you settlin’ down here. ’†¦ ‘Mister,’ she said, ‘ you got a tin button an’ a gun. Where I come from, you keep your voice down. ’ She advanced on him with the skillet.He loosened the gun in the holster. ‘Go ahead,’ said Ma. ‘Scarin women/ I’m thankful the men folks ain’t here. They’d tear ya to pieces. In my country you watch your tongue. ’ The man took two steps backward. ‘Well, you ain’t in your country now. You’re in California, an’ we don’t want you goddamn Okies settlin’ down. ’ †¦ ‘Yeah, Okies! An’ if you’re here when I come tomorra, I’ll run ya in† (pg. 215, Chapter 18). The significance of this passage is it shows how life changed so much once the Joads moved west, they were in someone else’s territory now.This passage shows how the Joads would have to change the way they acted since they moved to California. This passage relates to the work as a whole because it shows the reader how difficult and cruel it was to move to the West back during the dust bowl. People weren’t treated equally because of were they came from and how poor they were. C. â€Å"They had no more the stomach-tearing lust for the rich acre and a shining blade to plow it, for seed and a windmill beating its wings in the air. T hey arose in the dark no more to hear the sleepy birds’ first chittering, and the morning wind dear acres.These things were lost, nd crops were rechoned in dollars, and land was valued by principal plus interest, and crops were bought and sold before they were planted. Then crop failure, drought, and flood were no longer little deaths within life, but simple losses of money. And all their love was thinned with money, and all their fierceness dribbled away in interest until they were no longer farmers at all, but little shopkeepers of crops, little manufacturers who must sell before they can make. Then those farmers who were not good shopkeepers lost their land to good shopkeepers.No matter how clever, how loving a man might be with earth and growing things, he could not survive if he were not also a good shopkeeper. And as time went on, the business men had the farms, and the farms grew larger, but there were fewer of them† (pg. 231-232, Chapter 19). The significance of this passage is it shows the reader how the land used to be owned by people, farmers, who loved the land and cared for the land but it turned into a business over the years. Farming wasn’t about the feel or love anymore, it was all about money.This passage relates to the work as a whole because the whole book is about how money can affect people, how ownership can turn into something terrible and turn people against each other. D. â€Å"She sat down and opened the box. Inside were letters, clippings, photographs, a pair of earrings a little gold signet ring and a watch chain braided of hair and tipped with gold swivels†¦ For a long time she held the box, looking over it, and her fingers disturbed the letters and then lined them up again†¦ And at last she made up her mind†¦ She took a letter from an envelope and dropped the trinkets in the envelope.She folded the envelope and put it in her dress pocket†¦ She lifted the stove lid and laid the box gently am ong the coals. Quickly the heat browned the paper†¦ She replaced the stove lid and instantly the fire sighed up and breather over the box† (pg. 108, Chapter 10). The significance of this passage is it shows the reader how it’s so hard for the Joad’s to just give up all their belongings and leave. This relates to the story as a whole because it show’s how during the dust bowl you had to give up a lot if you wanted to survive. E. â€Å"I know, Ma. I’m a-tryin’.But them deputies- Did you ever see a deputy that didn’ have a fat ass? An’ they waggle their ass an’ flop their gun aroun’. Ma,’ he said, ‘if it was the law they was workin’ with, why, we could take it. But it ain’t the law. They’re a-workin’ away at our spirits. They’re a-tryin’ to make us cringe an’ crawl like a whipped bitch. They tryin’ to break us. Why, Jesus Christ, Ma, they comes a time when the on’y way a fella can keep his decency is by takin’ a sock at a cop. They’re workin’ on our decency† (pg. 278-279, Chapter 20). The significance of this passage is it shows how even the law was corrupt do to greediness.The deputies were corrupt so they could eat, feed their family and feel powerful. This passage relates to the work as a whole because it shows how people change once hunger and stable living comes into play. The people who have nothing are honest and look out for each other while people who have something do everything in their power to keep it, even if that means corrupting what’s right. Part 2: Plot, Setting, Themes and Vocabulary 3. Tom Joad- A young man, the favorite child of the Joad family. Tom went to jail for killing a man at a bar fight, but he got put on parole after 4 years in prison for his good record.He doesn’t regret what he did, he even says he’d do it again if he had to. Tom is the one who guides his family throughout the book, acting as the protector of the family. 4. Tom’s purpose in the story was to lead the Joad family to California and to make sure he could do everything in his well-being to make living possible for him and his family. Tom is a dynamic character, he changes when there are different people around. He knows when he needs to keeps pushing or when he needs to stop. 5. Tom is related to the majority of the other characters.Toms relationship with Casy is that they met when Tom was searching for his family, and they helped each other out because they knew what each other was going through. Tom and Floyd are very similar in that they want they same thing, they want to do good for their family. Tom was the once who suggested that Ivy and Sairy Wilson travel with the Joads. Muley Graves- A former neighbor of the Joads. Helped Tom find his family when he first got out of jail. Muley got evicted from his house just like the Joads but he could ’t leave the land, his family left him for California. 4.Muley’s function in the story was to help Tom find his family when he got out of jail and went back home. Muley was a static character who just showed his anger towards the bankers and Willy. 5. Muley was the Joad’s neighbor back in Oklahoma, and used to go to church where Casy was the preacher. Ma Joad- Ma Joad is the mother of the Joad family, she’s the one who is trying to keep the family together throughout the whole book. She takes on all her motherly duties without the blink of an eye. She is tough and won’t get pushed around easily but doesn’t know when not to speak up when she is getting pushed around. . Ma’s purpose in the story was to hold the family together and be strong when no one else could. She helped the family stay together though all the tough times. Ma was a dynamic character who changes a lot throughout the story. She was very quiet at the being of the story but once the story progressed she got more vocal and outspoken. 5. Ma is the mother of all the Joad family. She used to bring the Joad’s to the church that Casy used to preach at. The Wilson’s helped Ma out by sharing the food they had with the whole Joad family.Pa Joad- The tenant farmer who got evicted from his farm, the father of the Joad family and married to Ma Joad. Once he got evicted he focused on getting the family to California. Once they got to California Pa wasn’t able to find work and became weaker than Ma and became desperate. 4. Pa’s purpose was to help the family get to California and find work once they got there. Since Pa didn’t find work, he helped Ma out. Pa is a static character who doesn’t change much during the book. 5. Pa is the father of the Joad father and went to the church that Cast used to preacher at.Pa helped any way he could with the Wilson’s car when it was broken-down. Jim Casy- Jim was a former prea cher until he gave it up because he got to thinking that ‘the sperit’ he believed in so much was just love, and the other spirit wasn’t in him anymore. He goes along with the Joad family to California but before he could find a job he got arrested to protect Tom during a fight between laborers and a deputy from the California police. During the trip to California he helps the Joad family out a lot by praying for both Granma and Granpa Joad when they passed. 4.Casy’s purpose in the story was to the Joad family by praying when it needed to be done like at Granma and Granpa Joad’s deaths. Casy was a dynamic character because at the beginning of the story he was alone because he didn’t want to preach anymore but as the story moved on he preached when he had to and he also saved Tom and Floyd by giving himself in. 5. Jim Casy used to the preacher that the Joad family used to go to, he baptized Tom when he was younger. Casy helped Floyd out by givi ng himself up instead of letting Tom and Floyd take the blame. Casy was the preacher of Muley’s family too.Noah Joad- The first born of the Joad family. He was deformed at birth because Pa panicked during the delivery and tried to pull him out. He felt that he wasn’t as loved as the other Joad children so he left the family at a stream near the California border, saying he was better off there. 4. Noah’s purpose in the story was to help the family get to California. Noah could be both a dynamic or a static character because throughout the whole story he didn’t change much but at the river he took a bold step and left the family. 5. Noah was the oldest son of the Joad family, who used to go see Casy preach.Noah never met Floyd and Muley used to be his neighbor. Rose of Sharon (Rosasharn)- the oldest daughter in the Joad family who is married to Connie. She journeys to California with Connie and the Joad family while being pregnant. The couple imagines how life will be once they get to California but once reality hits Connie abandons her during their first stop in California, and her baby is born dead. 4. Rose of Sharon’s purpose in the book was to be strong when so many bad things happen in life all at once. Rose of Sharon showed how you had to be mature and strong even though live was tough.Rose of Sharon was a dynamic character because at first she was love struck but then she started acting immature and babyish. But by the end of the book she matured and was a strong woman. 5. Rose of Sharon was the oldest daughter in the Joad family. She used to be preached by Jim Casy and was married the Connie. Ivy and Sairy Wilson were friends while they traveled together. Connie- He is Rose of Sharon’s husband who has unrealistic dreams with his wife. He dreams too much and soon abandons Rose of Sharon to go study tractors and to hopefully get paid 3 dollars and hour. His leaving surprises only Rose of Sharon. . Connie’s purpose in the story was to leave the Joad family to show how stress, depression and money can really move some people. Connie was also a dynamic character because he was ‘in love’ with Rose of Sharon for the whole story until they got to California and reality hit that getting a job was harder than they both thought. Connie left the Joad family in hopes that he would be able to make 3 dollars a day back in Oklahoma. 5. Connie was married to Rose of Sharon making him a brother in-law and son in-law of the Joad family. Casy was just an acquaintance of Connie. Connie never met Muley or Floyd.Granma Joad- Granma loved having Casy around because she was a Christian. She too loved to torment Granpa Joad just like he did her. Once Granpa died she started to slowly die herself, she dies right after the Joad family reaches California. 4. Granma’s purpose in the story was to show even though she was dying the family never left her behind because she was family. Granma was static character because while Granpa was alive all they did was rise hell with each other but once he didn’t she got sick and didn’t talk or do much. 5. Granma Joad was the mother of Pa and the Granma of the Joad children.She loved Casy because she was a devoted Christian and he was a preacher. Granma Joad appreciated the help of the Wilson’s during Granpa’s death. Granma never met Floyd. Granpa Joad- He was the one who ran the Indian’s off of the land to make the Joad farm possible, is now old and feeble. He loves to torment his wife and family. He is connected to the land and didn’t want to leave it for California, but Tom drugged him to get him to come. On their first stop along the journey Granpa dies of a stroke, most likely a heat stroke. 4. Granpa’s purpose in the story was to show his love for the land was stronger that anything else.Once he left the land he got sick and died. Granpa was a dynamic character because during th e whole story he would just rise hell for the whole family but then once he was about to die he broke down and started crying. 5. Granpa Joad was the father of Pa and the Granpa of the Joad children. Granpa like Casy because he would pray for his wife. Granpa Joad never really met the Wilson’s but they helped him out tremendously by giving him a tent to die in. Granpa never met Floyd and was the neighbor of Muley. Al Joad- 16-year old son of the Joad family. His main interest is in girls and cars.He was responsible for the whole family on the long voyage to California because the car was his responsibility. If something happened to the car it would have been his fault, resulting in the suffering of his family. He looks up to Tom throughout the book, but soon becomes his own man. He falls in love with Agnes Wainwright while working and stays with her instead of leaving with his family. 4. Al’s purpose in the story was to help keep the car running on their journey to Cal ifornia. Al made sure the car kept running all the way to California and made sure it never broke down.Al was a dynamic character because he was some what immature at the beginning of the story but he ended up acting very mature by the end of the story. He was idolized Tom, but soon grew up to be his own man. 5. Al was the middle son of the Joad family. He helped Floyd fix his car before they had to flee the Hooverville. Al helped the Wilson’s by fixing their car too. Casy made sure Al wasn’t around when he got arrested so their wouldn’t be any connection to Tom. Ivy and Sairy Wilson- The Joads met the Wilson’s on their first night stop on their journey to California.Both of the Wilson’s were sweet and nice, they lent their tent to the Joad’s so that Granpa Joad would have a comfortable place to die. To return the favor Al and Tom fixed their broken-down car, and then they two families decided to travel to California together. During the jou rney their car break down again and Al and Tom fix it again but before they can move on the Wilson’s said they couldn’t move on because of Sairy’s health. 4. The Wilson’s purpose in the story was to help the Joad family by sharing their food and their car with them. The Wilson’s showed the reader that even during these tough times people could still be nice.The Wilson’s were static characters always being helpful but knew because of Sairy’s health they would eventually have to stop. 5. The Wilson’s relationship with the Joad family was they helped each other out, they were friends. The Wilson’s liked Casy because before the Joad’s left the Wilson’s Casy prayed for Sairy even though he didn’t want to. The Wilson’s never met Muley or Floyd. Uncle John- Pa’s brother who is crazy, stringy and mean. John is filled with guilt and shame because years ago he didn’t get a doctor for his 4 month pregnant wife who complained of stomach pains and died the day after from a ruptured appendix.He blames himself for her death and because of it his loneliness cuts him off from people and his appetite. 4. Uncle John’s purpose in the story was to help out in any way he could but to also show selfishness when he got depressed. Uncle John was a static character because throughout the whole story he just felt guilty and ashamed of what he did so long ago. 5. Uncle John was Pa’s brother and the Uncle of the Joad family. He talked to Casy about his sins a few times and appreciated the advice of Casy. Uncle John was the neighbor of Muley and never really met Floyd.Ruthie Joad- The sencond and youngest Joad daughter who has almost a twin-like relationship with her younger brother Winfield. During the book they do almost everything together, they feed off of each other’s energy. 4. Ruthie’s purpose in the story was to help out Ma in any way she could and so me what look after Winfield whenever they were together. Ruthie was a dynamic character because at the beginning of the story she acted fearless but during the story we found out she was only fearless with Winfield by her side. She also acted immaturely and didn’t think things through before she spoke. 5.Ruthie was the youngest daughter of the Joad family and used to be preacher by Casy. The Wilson’s were companions of hers, Muley was her old neighbor and she never really met Floyd. Winfield Joad- He is the youngest Joad at the age of ten. He does everything with Ruthie. 4. Winfield’s purpose was to help Ma out in any way he could. Winfield was the youngest child in the story and had to grow up during these tough times making it hard to act like normal ten year-old. Winfield was a static character because he was just a child throughout the whole story. 5. Winfield was the youngest child of the Joad family.He traveled with the Wilson’s and Casy but never t alked out associated with them much. Muley used to be Winfield’s neighbor and he never really met Floyd. Floyd Knowles- A migrant worker who Tom meets at the first Hooverville. He gives Tom word on a job up north. His outspokenness gets him into an argument with a deputy where Casy gets arrested for him and Tom’s sake. 4. Floyd’s purpose in the book was to help the Joad’s find work and to work with Tom in making labor unions. Floyd was a dynamic character because he seemed go know when to stop talked when he first got introduced but once the deputy came into the story he was outspoken. . Floyd helped the Joad family out by giving them word on work up north. Casy gave himself in for Floyd and Tom. Floyd never met the Wilson’s or Muley. Part 3: Plot, Setting, Themes and Vocabulary 6. The central settings of the story were in Oklahoma and California. The significance of Oklahoma was that was where the whole story started. Oklahoma was were the Joad fa mily grew up but they got evicted from their house. Oklahoma got changed while they were living there. Granpa Joad stole the land and then the land got stolen from him but the Bank Company.Oklahoma was not there home anymore so they moved on to California. California was described as beautiful land with plenty of jobs available. But once they reached California they learned that the land was beautiful but the people who owned it were not. California was dirty land because of the people who ran it. California wasn’t what the Joad’s expected and they wanted to change that, and Tom eventually did. 7. The exposition of Grapes of Wrath is Tom gets paroled out of jail and goes to find his family. He finds out both his family and his Uncle got evicted from their homes so they travel to California for work.The main conflict throughout the whole book is the drought of the Dust Bowl, which results in hundreds of families getting evicted from their homes and being forced to move west. The Joad family was one of those hundreds of families who had to move. The rising action in the story is the journey of the Joad family to California. Once in California the Joad family has a hard time finding work, and at the first Hooverville get into an argument with a local deputy, resulting in Casy getting arrested. The family lives at a government camp for a while but then move on to find work.One night there was a strike at an orchard and Tom finds Casy there. Casy gets murdered by one of the policeman that was trying to stop the strike. In response, Tom kills the policeman in spite, which is the climax of the story. Tom becomes an outlaw and has to hide from the world to protect his family. In the end Tom ends up running, leaving the rest of his family to escape and be free, which is the resolution of the story. 8. The major themes presented in the work are Bad treatment of the migrant workers, also known as the Okies; the Survival of Kinship and Growth and Maturity.Ba d treatment of the migrant workers in one of the major themes in the Grapes of Wrath because all of the Okies looking for work would be smaller wages and would have to live in Hoovervilles. The workers barely made it by because of how badly they were being treated and paid but the California police and land owners. An example of this would be how the first deputy treated Floyd and Tom because they were outspoken. The Survival of Kinship is also another major theme in the Grapes of Wrath because Ma tries to keep the family together no matter what. During the Dust Bowl all you could count on was your family, no one else.Family is the only thing the Okies really had left, so they would do anything in there power to stay together. An example of keeping the family together would be when Tom had to knock Uncle John out to have him move up north with the rest of the family. Growth and Maturity was also a major theme in the Grapes of Wrath. Every character grew and matured during the story, showing the reader that the only why they would be able to keep living would be to grow up and become mature. An example would be how Rose of Sharon matured after her baby was a still born. 9.Emulsion- a mixture of mutually insoluble liquids in which one is dispersed in droplets throughout the other; a light-sensitive coating on photographic film or paper. â€Å"Now the dust was evenly mixed with the air, an emulsion of dust and air† (pg. 3, Chapter 1). Insinuation- to imply in a subtle, indirect, or artful way â€Å"His voice had the same quality of secrecy and insinuation his eyes had† (pg. 8, Chapter 2). Judiciously- having, exercising, or characterized by sound judgement â€Å"The driver squinted judiciously ahead and built up the speed of the truck a little† (pg. 8, Chapter 2). Auger- a tool for boring †¦ and sometimes they drove big earth augers into the ground for soil tests† (pg. 31, Chapter 5). Beseech- to beg urgently â€Å"He did not know or own or trust or beseech the land† (pg. 35, Chapter 5). Leanto- A shed with a single-pitch roof attached to the side of a building; A shelter made from planks or branches raised in the front on poles. â€Å"Joad paused at the entrance to the tool-shed leanto, an no tools were there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg. 40, Chapter 6). Petulant- Unreasonably irritable or ill tempered; peevish. â€Å"†¦ the mouth held tight and small, the little eyes half scowling, half petulant† (pg. 45, Chapter 5).Peddler- One who peddles for a living, a hawker; also called â€Å"packman†. â€Å"She aimed to go for that peddler with the ax†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg. 48, Chapter 5). Boils- A painful swelling of the skin and subcutaneous tissue with a hard pus-filled center, caused by bacterial infection, usually occurring at a hair follicle. â€Å"Look out for boils on that jackrabbit† (pg. 50, Chapter 5). Blazoned- To paint or depict (a coat of arms) with accurate heraldic detail; to adorn or embellish with or as if with blazons; to announce publicly; proclaim loudly and widely â€Å"†¦ the garages with blazoned signs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg. 61, Chapter 5). Jalopy- An old, dilapidated car. Get ‘em out in a jalopy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg. 61, Chapter 6). Heifer- A young cow, especially one that has not yet given birth to a calf. â€Å"Well, one day he takes a heifer over to Graves’ bull† (pg. 70, Chapter 7). Meerchaum- A claylike material consisting of hydrated magnesium silicate; A tobacco pipe with the bowl made from this. â€Å"Over old Tom’s unwhiskered cheek bones the skin was as brown as meerschaum†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg. 71, Chapter 8). Citadel- A fortress, typically on high ground, protecting or dominating a city. â€Å"She seemed to know, to accept, to welcome her position, the citadel of the family†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg. 74, Chapter 8).Jabbering- talk rapidly and excitedly but with little sense; fast, excited talk that makes little sense. â₠¬Å"All over the State, jabbering in the Hoovervilles† (pg. 237, Chapter 19). 10. A). Why were the deputies corrupting the law and treating the Okies unfairly? B). What the importance of keeping the family together even though Tom killed another man and was on the run from the law? C). Did Rose of Sharon do any real sin that would result in her having a still born baby? D). Was it right of Casy to give himself up for Tom, just so he could get in trouble with the law again? E). What was the outcome of the Dust Bowl? Grapes of Wrath Steven Messner November 1, 2012 Changes Along the Road John Steinbeck’s book, The Grapes of Wrath, shows the audience future changes in America, namely the coming Industrial Revolution, and the conflict between the locals and the Okies. These themes are supported by subplots of desperation, hunger, and the upcoming change in America. These subplots are particularly highlighted and illustrated in chapters 11 and 21. Steinbeck begins chapter 11 with a metaphor illustrating the coming change in the United States.The Industrial Revolution was coming and Steinbeck used this metaphor to show how machines would change the way the farmers lived their life. Steinbeck used this chapter not only for a picture of their vacant homes but as future inference for the coming times of disconnect between farmers and their land. â€Å"So easy that the wonder goes out of work, so efficient that the wonder goes out of the land and working it, and with the wonder the deep understanding and the rela tion† (115) Farming, to Steinbeck, was not just a way that crops were produced, but a lifestyle.Steinbeck understood that the little things mattered to farmers and their industry. Things like the way that land was worked from generation to generation, the care and dedication that were put into the seasonal turning of the soil, and rotating the crops to make sure the land stayed well. All these things were, for the farmer, not simply for this short benefit, but supported his long term goals. His love for the land caused the land to love him back. Steinbeck understood this relationship between the farmers and the land.The coming Industrial Revolution would change this relationship between farmers and their land. The way of life for these farmers was changing before their very eyes. The dedication and care that farmers once needed would be swept away. â€Å"And in the tractor man there grows the contempt that comes only to a stranger who has little understand and no relationâ₠¬  (115) Steinbeck is touching on the idea that once the farming industry is revolutionized, there would no longer be a need for small family farmers. When the industry is revolutionized, large companies would be able to farm great amounts of land.They would be able to mass produce crops, with little concern for quality, and ultimately, the quality of the soil itself would deplete. â€Å"When the corrugated iron doors are shut, he goes home, and his home is not the land. † (116) The revolution would not treat the land as sacred, and the close relationship between farmers and their land would be over. In chapter 21 Steinbeck once again illustrates his larger themes using the â€Å"migrants† and the changes they undergo during their journey. He uses the migrant’s story to further illustrate his negative feelings towards big industry.In this chapter, he moves along in time to show how big industry is taking away from the country as a whole. Steinbeck opens the cha pter by comparing the farmers who started this journey across the country and the migrants who are on the same journey now. The journey has changed these people before their very own eyes. This was a change that the â€Å"Okies† had to make no matter what. These people experienced being hungry for the first time, seeing their children go hungry and not be able to do anything about it. This would undoubtedly change a man forever. Change did indeed occur.The Okies grew angry and mean towards the locals. The local people lived in fear of the Okies. The locals knew that there was nothing on this earth that could keep the Okies away from their food and land. This began to ferment a problem between the locals and the Okies. â€Å"When there was work for a man, ten men fought for it- fought with a low wage. † (283) This illustrated the fact that one Okie would seemingly always charge less to work than another in order to keep a job. When there are ten men fighting for the job , the wages go from 25 cents to just working for food.This was beneficial for the owner because wages stayed so low. The Okies didn’t believe their circumstances could become any worse; however they would soon find out how wrong they were. They had no idea of the upcoming problems they would face with the large canneries. â€Å"And when the peaches were ripe he cut the price of fruit below the cost of raising it. And as cannery owner he paid himself a low price for the fruit and kept the price of canned goods up and took his profit. † (283-284) This was a dramatic economic challenge for the Okies.I believe at this point they realize things would never get back to the old ways. The way they lived their lives would be forever different. They were forced back on the road, and back to search for food. â€Å"The great companies did not know that the line between hunger and anger is a thin line† (284) â€Å"On the highways the people moved like ants and searched for work, for food. And the anger began to ferment† (284) Steinbeck points towards his feeling that big industry ruined the life of these people forever. The changes that Steinbeck illustrates are not just temporary, but permanent and life changing.These changes in industry would change the way the entire nation functions. The way people are used to living would be revolutionized. The people who aren’t ready to accept this change or are unaware how to accept these changes would be left behind. When looking back at both of these chapters, and understanding the negative changes, we see some irony in the way Steinbeck structured this book. These small chapters, in between the longer ones, gave Steinbeck a chance to not only give setting, but also to express his opinions of the current state of events though his metaphors.He used the small chapters of 11 and 21 to depict a scene the Okies were fleeing. They were leaving Oklahoma with the hope that California would somehow save them. â€Å"I like to think how nice it's gonna be, maybe, in California. Never cold. An' fruit ever'place, an' people just bein' in the nicest places, little white houses in among the orange trees. I wonder–that is, if we can all get jobs an' all work–maybe we can get one of them little white houses. An' the little fellas go out an' pick oranges right off the tree. † (91)The Okies believe they would find an area of California that would allow them to get back to their old ways of farming, and sadly, this simply would not happen. The Okies were running to a hopeful scene, while this hopeful scene was running from them. â€Å"Wonder if we'll ever get in a place where folks can live ‘thout fightin' hard scrabble an' rocks. I seen pitchers of a country flat an' green, an' with little houses like Ma says, white. Ma got her heart set on a white house. Get to thinkin' they ain't no such country. I seen pitchers like that. â€Å"Pa said, â€Å"Wait till we get to California.You'll see nice country then. â€Å"Jesus Christ, Pa! This here is California. † (204) They begin to realize, there really is nowhere left to run. In conclusion, I believe that in Chapters 11 and 21 the Joads were used as a metaphor for America. The Joads, like much of America, were not ready to accept the upcoming changes, and they were not prepared to deal with the disasters they had along the way. Ultimately, their journey was unsuccessful. They lost members of their family, animals, and friends. The Joads, like much of America, had lost their entire way of life.