Sunday, July 23, 2017

The Grapes of Wrath: Chapter 20 and 21 Question

Read the following excerpts and explain why Steinbeck may have decided on The Grapes of Wrath title.

Hello readers! I have been stuck with this question for quite awhile and I don't know how to answer it no matter how much research I do. I get that it is a biblical reference but I don't understand why Steinbeck chose The Grapes of Wrath as the title of this novel. Can someone help me on this?

2 comments:

  1. Think of it this way Tommy. Everybody has their own opinions, so one person's perception of justice might be another's idea of crime. With that in mind, the first excerpt mentions that God's truth/wrath is marching on after grapes were trampled. The passage from the Bible also says something similar with the pressing of grapes inciting God's wrath. In other words, grapes have something to do with wrath. This, however, is contradicting as grapes are known to be sweet and wrath leaves one feeling bitter resentment towards oneself. Personally, I believe that Steinbeck chose the name, "The Grapes of Wrath" because it outlines the feeling of their journey: bittersweet. Was it right for the Joad's to move west or was it wrong? It's ambiguous so that the reader can decide whether the trip was worth it or not in the end.

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