Appreciation

All of chapter eighteen and part of chapter twenty in The Grapes of Wrath dealt with the Joad family traveling the rest of the way to California. At the end of chapter eighteen, I read that Granma had died during the night on the truck, which did not surprise me. I think the plot has yet to pick up the pace, as reading each chapter is still a drag. The book has been equally informational and depressing, but difficult to get through.

When I first started the novel, I figured the Joad family would have some grand adventure trying to survive. In a way they have, just not in the fashion I had initially assumed. But a majority of the book has been full of talking, which I do not typically enjoy. I prefer books that have some sort of action involved along with talking; it needs to be well balanced. However, Steinbeck has balanced the talking with the in-between chapters which give updates on what is going on with the rest of the United States during that time period.

Chapter twenty was depressing to read, as the Joads stop and stay in a Hooverville. reading about the Hoovervilles made me think of 20th Century History again. Last year we discussed Hoovervilles, which were named after Herbert Hoover, the president during the 30's. The name Hooverville came from Herbert's last name to mock him because people were angry Hoover was not doing anything to help the economy. Therefore, reading about the families stuck in Hooverville, including the Joads, make me realize how fortunate I really am. Even though America is still recovering from the recent recession, I did not feel near as affected as people like the Joads did. Our family had to cut costs a bit, but we never had to sell our home or live out of our car like the Joads did.

So reading The Grapes of Wrath, especially chapter twenty, has made me appreciate having a house to come to and being able to have a good dinner together with my family without the economic pressure and stress. Although this book is still slow paced, reading each chapter has really made me think and realize how lucky I really am.