Students,
This is where you will be having discussions on the texts read in class. Bring in outside resources, make connections, and challenge each other's ideas! You should be commenting more than posting. Proofread your writing before publishing. Check this site on a regular basis, especially if you created a Post. You will want to engage in the discussions about what you wrote. Respond. Learn from one another. Question.
Please title posts about The Grapes of Wrath by chapter #. This is so that you won't be "giving away" anything and spoiling suspense. Do not read posts for chapters that you have not yet read!
Have fun and be respectful. Happy Summer Reading!
The Grapes of Wrath chapter #3:
ReplyDeleteThe turtle symbolizes the struggle Joad has gone through due to the felony he has, which is homicide, but what else is Steinbeck trying to propose with this turtle, or in other words, in what other possible ways is the turtle used as symbolic representation?:)
Melanie, create a Post instead of commenting here...
DeleteThe Grapes of Wrath Chapter #3:
ReplyDeleteHi Melanie, I agree that the turtle is used to symbolize Joad and his struggles; however, I believe that all of the descriptions of the setting all contribute to the symbolic representation: life is affected by occurrences. In the sense that the oats, seeds, thorns, etc are all waiting for an occurrence, for an animal or wind to carry them off, that will decide their fate. The turtle also symbolizes this as it is crossing the highway it affects the woman driving, whose vehicle almost flips over as she tries to avoid the turtle, and ends up driving more cautiously. So, all that is in the setting, including the turtle, represents that life is affected by an occurrence such as a wind or animal passing by or a turtle crossing the road.
It was only a thought and I would love to hear the ideas of others :)
Melany,
DeleteGood insight; we are all interconnected. Follow this theme as you continue to read.
Grapes of Wrath Chapter #3
DeleteQuick addition, I also think that in a way the turtle symbolizes human interactions. One is either treated kindly such as the woman who swerved out of the way to avoid hitting the defenseless creature or one is treated with malicious intent like the truck driver who wanted to kill the turtle.
I think the turtle not just symbolizes Joad himself, but the farmer families that force to move to CA during the "Dust Bowl" in general. The way how the drivers response when they see the turtle, symbolize the reaction and opinion of the Californians. Also in Ch.3 author describe how the turtle make its way to the embankment, I think it's referring to the difficulty the farmer families have to face when they make their way to CA.
DeleteGrapes of Wrath Chapter #3
DeleteIn addition, I want to contribute that chapter 3 can be seen as the start of a new life for Joad. When the chapter began, it started by describing seeds. In a metaphorical sense, people can be described as seeds on a journey of growth and self-discovery. Also, turtles are known for being slow. This slowness can be attributed to the fact that forming your own identity takes a lot of time. The two drivers on the highway can potentially suggest the kind of life events that we have experienced: good and bad. When the turtle finally plants the seed at the end, this event can suggest the start of a new life, as seeds "transform" into seedlings and then plants. This is just my theory, though, so I would like to hear what everybody else has to say.