Jon Taylor’s Reviews > The Grapes of Wrath > Status Update

Ma seems to suggest that Tom is special - maybe Christ-like? Family moving again. Rosasharn sickly and sad.

Excellent change of pace as the dance starts. Multiple points of view build the tension - very cinematic before cinematic was even a thing! Steinbeck does de Palma. Really good scene.

No work. Deeper poetic section about the search for leisure amongst the migrant workers. All laced with the sadness of nostalgia. Of past and of home.

The govt camp is a sort of communist utopia. Some talk of wage fixing by the trade associations. Townspeople demonising the itinerant workers is reminiscent of immigrants in Europe. Steinbeck warns of a revolution. This is still controversial for Americans even today.

Hooverville. Distrust of cops - they represent the protection of the landed classes not justice. How much of this resentment is still there in USA? How much is still true?

More than a paean to communist views, Chapter 19 was a call to arms. Steinbeck presents the situation that leads to revolution. Again, I can’t help but see parallels today with the oligarchs and tech bros and the boats. Interested to know how America avoided this then - the New Deal? Steinbeck absolutely blames ‘ownership’ and greed. And yet, here we are…

Found some of the music Steinbeck mentions - old time guitar tunes they picked in the encampments. Brought a whole new feel to them. This is a strongly communist book. And I can’t help but equate this with the immigrant experience today. Dreading the family arriving in Cali. It’s not going to be pretty.