The Grapes of Wrath Synthesis Essay - 891 Words

Throughout history, human beings have been incessantly cruel and violent towards each other. It has happened so much so, that some have argued human nature is intrinsically violent and aggressive. This can be seen in chapter 25 of The Grapes of Wrath: the mindless destruction of resources ultimately amounts to nothing productive. In his novel, Steinbeck expresses harsh criticism and disapproval toward humanity’s self-destructive and violent nature. Man’s cruelty to his fellow man, a major theme in the book, is very clearly addressed in chapter 25: â€Å"And men with hoses squirt kerosene on the oranges, and they are angry at the crime, angry at the people who have come to take the fruit. A million people hungry, needing the fruit- and†¦show more content†¦On the other hand, the truck driver typifies the corrupt government which oppresses those weaker than it, for little or no benefit. Steinbeck employs detailed imagery in order to describe the turtle’s journey in chapter three: â€Å"The hind feet kicked his shell along, and it scraped on the grass, and on the gravel†¦ The back legs went to work, straining like elephant legs†¦ And now a light truck approached†¦ His front wheel struck the edge of the shell, flipped the turtle like a tiddly-wink, spun it like a coin, and rolled it off the high-way†(21) Steinbeck greatly emphasizes each difficulty the turtle must face and each action the turtle makes to conquer the challenge of crossing the street. John Steinbeck’s somber portrayal of humanity through the turtle and drivers in The Grapes of Wrath is still seen in today’s world. We hear of heroic acts of sacrifice and unacceptable acts of greed daily, yet they make no overall impact on our lives. Social and economic classes have always been unequal and unbalanced; this will not change. Politicians continue to make claims about changing this unequal foundation. Every four years another presidential c andidate promises to make things equal and their supporters develop an obsession with the belief that things will be different, and every four years they are disappointed. The latest election had a similar situation, with Obama promising to change everything for the