The Grapes of Wrath #7

John Steinbeck, the author of The Grapes of Wrath, used many techniques throughout the book. Techniques are mainly used by authors in order to keep the readers interested. Techniques can include humor, mystery and suspense. Steinbeck on the other hand, used alot of imagery and short narratives to describe what it was like living in that era and to show what the people were doing in the book. Steinbeck also uses alot of foreshadowing. For example, starting in chapter three Tom sees a little land turtle on the side of the road. A truck passes on the road, jusy barely missing the turtle. Tom picks the little turtle up deciding to bring it home for his little brother. (Steinbeck, 18) On the way the way to his home Tom meets Jim Casey. While talking to Casey the turtle almost escapes several times and is very persistant, but Tom catches it every time. The readers cant help feel a little bad for the turtle because you see how hard it is struggling to get out. Once Tom and Casey reach the house and find that it is abandoned. Tom finally lets that turtle go with a sigh. The turtle's struggle to get away foreshadows the events that will happen to them and all of the struggles they will have to go through. Like the persistant turtle, the Joad family will not give up.

Steinbeck also repeats phrases throughout the novel. He does this so it adds extra emphasis to the phrase and it gets the point across to the reader. For example, in chapter 12 a migrant family is on their way to California. The migrants are arguing back in forth on what they think California will be like and whether their car can hold up and take them all the way there. Meanwhile, their little boy in the backseat is complaining about how thirsty he is. (Steinbeck, 121) About four different times Steinbeck interrupts his descriptive words about the trip with the phrase "Danny wants a cup of water." He does this so that its almost as if the migrant is telling the reader to get Danny water but they are helpless in doing so. These are just two of the many techniques Steinbeck uses in The Grapes of Wrath.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.