Essay on Man and Nature in The Grapes of Wrath - 668 Words

Man and Nature in The Grapes of Wrath In The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck uses both obvious references and subtle contrasts to emphasize the main theme of the novel: the sanctity of mans relationship to the natural world and to each other. Machines have no place in this relationship. They act as a barrier between men and the land. They are dangerous because they perform the function of men with greater efficiency, but they lack the spiritual element that makes the land so valuable. Chapter five uses imagery to detail the evil inherent in the plowing of land by a machine: Behind the tractor rolled the shining disks, cutting the earth with blades-not plowing but surgery, pushing the cut earth to†¦show more content†¦The company is seeking what will drive profit; it does not care for the long-term effects on the land and will rob it of its nutrients. Furthermore, when the land is disconnected from the men who eat its produce, it dies a spiritual death. When no person is there to worship it, it ceases to be holy. Not only does the land suffer from a break in the sacred connection between farmer and crops, the men lose a part of their humanity to the machine. Those men who run the tractors are described in the novel as being part of the monster (Steinbeck, 48). They have given their humanity to the company in return for money to buy food that was produced by machines, not by men. Chapter eleven describes the slow degrading of the spirits of the tractor men and the migrants who no longer know the land. The slow deterioration of the houses, with no people to care for and be sheltered by them, is symbolic of the death of the land and the people when they are not connected. (Steinbeck 158-159) Just as a tractor is composed of thousands of iron parts, working smoothly and without knowledge or passion about the results of their labor, the company is made of men who work rigidly and disinterestedly at the tasks assigned to them. The machines sever the people from theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of four types of conflict in John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath, man versus man, man versus nature, man versus society, and man versus himself.1463 Words   |  6 PagesSteinbecks The Grapes of Wrath, the journey of the Joad family is riddled with conflict. The family experiences all of the four major types of conflicts: man vs. himself, man vs. society, man vs. nature, and man vs. man. In the case of The Grapes of Wrath, man represents the Joad family as a single unit. They experience conflict within the family itself, with the society they are coming from as well as the one they are going to, and with nature and the elements. The man vs. man conflict is usuallyRead MoreThe Use of Sy mbolism in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck1052 Words   |  5 PagesThe Use of Symbolism in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck The Grapes of Wrath is a novel by John Steinbeck that in my opinion illustrates the terrible conditions under which the migratory farm families of America during the 1930s were forced to live under. This novel in a very descriptive and emotional way tells of one familys migration west to California from Oklahoma (the Joad family) through the great economic depression of the 1930s. The story revolves around the family having toRead More The Pain of the Okies Exposed in The Grapes of Wrath Essay1485 Words   |  6 PagesThe Pain of the Okies Exposed in The Grapes of Wrath      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Dust bowl was an ecological and human disaster in the Southwestern Great Plains regions of the United States in the 1930s. The areas affected were Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. 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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 withRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Grapes Of Wrath 1436 Words   |  6 PagesTyler Jordan Ms. Mittleman Honors American Lit. September 14, 2014 â€Å"Humanity’s Wrathful Curtain† In his historical fiction, Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck characterizes the Joad family as one of the many migrating farming families subjected to prejudice and seclusion on their journey to California. Similarly, in T.C. Boyle’s Tortilla Curtain, Cà ¡ndido and Amà ©rica are victims of animosity and discrimination after fleeing their homes in Mexico to seek a better life in Los Angeles. 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