Irony in Casy's Second Statement

This statement can also be construed as somewhat ironic, given that none of the rest of the Joads really manages to make a new life in California either. Besides the other members of the party who die, no one succeeds in establishing a new life. It is possible that Grampa's literal death was the first and truest expression of the collective demise of the family when they were forced to leave the home they loved.

Lesson Summary

Grampa's is the first, but not the last, death on the Joads' journey. The Joads are forced to bury him in the woods, because they lack the money for a proper funeral and burial. This is the first of many hard non-choices that the Joads will have to make, which makes Casy's claim that the living have choices somewhat ironic -- the Joads, like others who lack money and status, rarely have a genuine choice about anything.

 

This lesson eulogizes old Granma Joad, the matriarch in John Steinbeck's 'The Grapes of Wrath.' We'll discover her fervent religiosity. Then we'll learn about her reaction to her husband's death and how the Joads coped with the loss of both grandparents.

The Extended Family

Retirement villages, nursing homes, and end-of life care facilities are a relatively recent invention. If you were born in the late 20th century, it's likely you grew up without close contact to your grandparents. These days, we usually visit our grandparents only on holidays.

Well, it wasn't always like that. In The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck paints a picture of the traditional extended family, a household in which the nuclear family (parents and children) also includes grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. The story revolves around Tom and the rest of his family, including Granma and Granpa, Ma and Pa, Uncle John, and Tom's siblings (Rose of Sharon, Al, Noah, Ruthie, and Winfield). There aren't any aunts or cousins, as of yet. And let's not forget about the livestock: pigs, chickens, and dogs. Because the house was so full, Granpa and Granma slept out in the barn.

When Tom finally makes it home after serving his prison sentence, he figured his Granma would have passed away in his absence. But to his pleasant surprise:

'Behind him hobbled Granma, who had survived only because she was as mean as her husband. She had held her own with a shrill ferocious religiosity that was as lecherous and as savage as anything Grampa could offer... As she walked she hiked her Mother Hubbard up to her knees, and she bleated her shrill terrible war cry: 'Pu-raise Gawd fur vittory.' '

Apart from Ma Joad - the strong, caring mother - Granma Joad is the matriarch, or female head of the household. Granma is the picture of old-timey American tradition. She's thick-skinned. With no teeth and no dentures, Steinbeck writes her dialogue to make it sound like it comes out of a hollow mouth. You can almost hear her wheezy breath.

Faith

Granma Joad's strongest trait is her religious conviction. She's the type of woman who would get out her best Sunday clothes to go to church. She insists the family say grace at every meal. She demonstrates her unflappable devotion to Christianity at every turn.

When the family debates about whether or not to invite the preacher, Jim Casy, on their cross-country road trip, Granma raises a confident vote of approval. Despite the already-overburdened jalopy, Granma says, 'A preacher is a nice thing to be with us. He give a nice grace this morning.'

Granma and Granpa

Granma and Granp Joad mirrors of each other. We don't know exactly how long they've been married, but you can bet they've known each other for decades. They have the same spunk, they rely on each other, and they're lifelong companions.

So, you can imagine that when Grandpa suffers a stroke, Granma feels his pain. While the other Joads rush for medical care, Granma cries out for prayer. She directs her anxiety at Casy. But, still struggling with his own doubts, the preacher initially refuses.

'Why ain't you prayin'? You're a preacher, ain't you?'
Casy's strong fingers blundered over to Grampa's wrist and clasped around it. 'I tol' you, Granma. I ain't a preacher no more.'
'Pray anyway,' she ordered. 'You know all the stuff by heart.'
'I can't,' said Casy. 'I don't know what to pray for or who to pray to.'
...
'Pray, goddamn you!' Granma cried.

Her pleading is so desperate that Casy gives in and reads Granpa his last rights. Following Granpa's death, Granma holds her head high. She displays all the signs of a good Christian widow. She does not outwardly grieve, as one might expect. She does not cry or wail or go into a deep depression. Instead, she's stoic, a proud display of endurance in a time of pain, without outwardly showing feelings of grief or despair.

'Granma sat proudly, coldly, until the group was formed, until no one looked at her, and then she lay down and covered her face with her arm. The red sun set and left a shining twilight on the land, so that faces were bright in the evening and eyes shone in reflection of the sky. The evening picked up light where it could. '

Then, she sleeps. Granma actually does make it to California. Though sick, tired, and suffering from heat stroke, she makes it over the border. Instead of burying her, like they did Granpa, they are forced to leave her body at a coroner's office because they cannot pay for her burial fees. It's moments like this that really tug at the readers' heartstrings. Granma's death is one more in a long line of deeply devastating blows endured by the Joad family. Next Stop: Hooverville.

Lesson Summary

In The Grapes of Wrath, the Joads are an extended family. Grandparents, parents, children, and an uncle all live in one household. Granma and Granpa sleep out in the barn because the house is already so crowded.

Granma is the matriarch of the family, though she takes the backseat to the younger Ma Joad. She's a fervent Christian who does not easily show her feelings. When her husband dies on the road, she reacts with stoicism. Despite her importance to the family, when she dies in California, the Joads are forced to leave her behind in the coroner's office.

 

If you are reading ''The Grapes of Wrath'', we come across many characters. As a large family, Al is just one of the Joad children. In this lesson, we will take a look Al Joad and consider some of his important characteristics.

Al Joad

In The Grapes of Wrath, Al Joad is the 16-year-old son of Ma and Pa Joad. He goes along on the family's road trip to California. Since he knows the most about cars, he has the responsibility of driving for most of the way. While in some ways, Al is a typical 16-year-old, he also displays behavior that is quite different than most teenagers. Let's take a look at his characteristics.

The Peeing Pirate

One of the first things we learn about Al is a story from his childhood. Pa sets the scene by explaining how Grampa and the kids all lived together. One time, Grampa got up to pee in the middle of the night and tripped over Winfield and ending up peeing in his pants. Al, instead of offering sympathy, tells Grampa that he should run off and be a pirate. In response, Grampa gets his gun, and Al ends up sleeping outside that night so Grampa could calm down. This story reveals that even as a child, Al did not have much empathy for other living beings.

Al's Motivation

When Al and Tom meet up for the first time since Tom got out of prison, we see how Al feels about Tom. When Al sees Tom, 'his boasting face changed, and admiration and veneration shone in his eyes.' He has 'his hand ready if Tom should want to shake it.' The narrator also tells us that even though Al is dressed like a tough guy (apparently having your jeans rolled up 8 inches and wearing a tilted cowboy hat made you look tough in the 1930s), he couldn't match 'his brother's stature; for his brother had killed a man, and no one would ever forget it.' This passage suggests that Al has a bit of a reputation to live up to. This may explain why he sometimes comes across as harsh and uncaring. Even though his brother killed someone in self defense, Al may still feel like he has to compete with one of the most serious actions in the world.

Sociopathic Behavior

Another example of Al's lack of empathy and compassion comes when he is driving with Tom (Al's older brother). Even though Tom is seen as a hardened criminal (he murdered someone), he mentions that he does not like it when an animal gets hit while driving. Al on the other hand, deliberately tries to run over a cat that walks into the road. Not only that, but Al just keeps chatting as though he did not just display sociopathic behavior. Al simply says 'Nearly got him,' and then 'Say, Tom. You heard Connie talkin' how he's gonna study nights? I been thinkin' maybe I'd study nights too.' This story shows us that, just as when Al was younger, he still does not express compassion for other lives. While Al may seem like a psycho, it is also possible that he is trying to show off for Tom. We know that he cares very much about what Tom thinks of him.

Al's Sexuality

Another important part of Al's character is his sexuality. As the family travels to California (and once they arrive), Al has no problem getting dates. He is bold and even winks at a girl after she turns him down for a dance. By the end of the book, he is engaged to a girl named Aggie Wainwright. The two had already been dating when Aggie's dad approached the Joad family to warn them that Aggie might get 'in trouble' (likely a euphemism for getting pregnant) and that the two should not be spending so much time alone. Rather than separate, the two lovers get engaged, and Al moves away from his family to live with the Wainwrights.

Lesson Summary

In The Grapes of Wrath, Al Joad is the 16-year-old son of Ma and Pa Joad. He does not have much compassion for the people and animals around him. When his grandfather urinates in his pants, Al makes fun of him. When Al is driving, he tries to run over cat. Some of the reason for this toughness may be due to how much he looks up to and wants to emulate his brother, Tom, who killed a man. By the end of the book, Al meets a girl named Aggie Wainright and gets engaged to her. He moves in with her family and leaves the Joad family.

 

The Joad family aren't the only ones making their way to California. In this lesson, we will get to know more about Ivy and Sairy Wilson, and older couple who joins the Joad's for part of their journey in John Steinbeck's ''The Grapes of Wrath''.

On the Road

Have you ever had to move? Nowadays, many people move for a job or in search of a better life. That's no different than the Joad family in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. The difference is, while most of us have some amount of freedom in choosing whether or not to move, the Joad family was forced into it when companies took over their land.

Like many others, the Joad family heads out west to California after seeing flyers advertising good-paying jobs. They load up as many of their belonging as they can fit on an old, beat-up truck and begin their journey to what they hope will be a better life.

The Joad's are not the only ones facing this situation. People from all different states are migrating west on Route 66 after their farms were taken over. Two such people are Ivy and Sairy Wilson, a married couple from Kansas who have been traveling for three weeks by the time the Joad family's path crosses theirs. Let's take a deeper look.

Who are the Wilson's?

Ivy Wilson has a ''lean'' face whose ''deep cheek lines furrows down his face so that his cheekbones and chin stood out sharply.'' He admits he can have a temper, but he is also welcoming and kind-hearted.

His wife, Sairy, is very sick. Her face is ''wrinkled as a dried leaf'' and her eyes ''seemed to look out of a well of horror.'' Sairy's ''small and shuddering body'' is always in pain. Despite her appearance, though, Sairy's voice has ''a beautiful low timbre, soft and modulated, and yet with ringing overtones.''

Bonding Over a Tragedy

The Joad's and the Wilson's first meet when Tom notices the couple's tent off the side of the road. He pulls up alongside Ivy, who is staring angrily under the hood of his ''old touring car.'' But Ivy's irritation with his car quickly gives way for him to welcome the Joad family to join him and his wife in their campsite.

Maybe it is because she has to deal with her own sickness so much or because she has been around sick people before, but Sairy notices Grampa is not doing well and invites him to lay down on the mattress in their tent.

Casy comes, too, and together they agree Grampa is ''workin' up to a stroke.'' When it hits, it is Sairy who reminds Casy to hold down Grampa's tongue while she tries to block Granma from seeing what's going on. Sairy is also the one to comfort Granma after Grampa dies.

Although the Wilson's insist ''there's no beholden in a time of dying,'' the Joad's want to do something to make up for Grampa dying in the Wilson's tent and for using their quilt to bury him. Al and Tom offer to fix the Wilson's car. Since the Wilson's are in the same boat of having a very strict budget, Ivy has to admit they could use the help.

Traveling Friends

The men realize they are heading to the same place: California. It turns out Ivy has seen the exact same handbill as the Joad family. Since they are all heading in the same direction, Tom and Al have an idea.

They've been worrying about their truck making the trip, especially going up hills since it is overloaded with their belongings. What if they split the belongings up into the truck and the Wilson's car and they all travel together? That way, the truck wouldn't be packed too full, and Al and Tom could keep the Wilson's car running.

Ivy and Sairy are worried they will be a ''burden,'' especially since Sairy worries she will be too sick to make the whole trip. Ma and Pa insist that won't be the case - both families will benefit. Besides, they are practically family now after Sairy helped out so much with Grampa. The decision is settled, and the families begin traveling together.

The Two Families Split

Despite one more car breakdown, the Joad's and the Wilson's help each other make it to California, just on the other side of Arizona. Unfortunately, though, this is where the partnership between their families will have to end.

Even though a police officer has told them they have to move on from their camp the next day or risk being arrested, Ivy says he and Sairy cannot keep going. Sairy's health has gotten the better of her, and without rest Ivy says she ''ain't gonna git acrost that desert alive.''

Casy visits with Sairy, who actually knows she is going to die regardless of whether they go on or not. At this point, she feels she is ''just pain covered with skin.'' But Ivy refuses to believe it. Sairy asks Casy to pray with her before saying goodbye.

Ma and Pa try to give Ivy some money before they leave, but he refuses. Ma is just as stubborn, though, and puts it on the ground under a pan saying if Ivy doesn't take it, someone else is going to find it. Ivy is too proud to respond, and only goes to his tent without saying goodbye. The last the Joad's see of him he is watching them drive away ''and his hat was in his hand.''

Lesson Summary

In John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, Ivy and Sairy Wilson are a married couple the Joad's meet on their way to California. Sairy, who is also very sick, lends a hand while Grampa is having a stroke. After Grampa dies in the Wilson's tent, Al and Tom offer to fix the Wilson's car.

The two families realize they are both heading to California, and decide to carpool together. Unfortunately, Sairy's health catches up to her and she gets really sick just after crossing the border between Arizona and California. She knows she will die, but Ivy is hopeful and believes she just needs to rest. The Wilson's stay put while the Joad's continue on across the California desert.

 

f you would like to take a closer look at Connie Rivers from 'The Grapes of Wrath', check out this lesson. We will pinpoint some of the important moments involving Connie and examine just who he is.

That friend

Have you ever known someone whose identity was totally wrapped up in his or her girlfriend or boyfriend? Everything this person says and does seems to be connected to his or her significant other. If so, you will find quite a few similarities between that friend and Connie Rivers from The Grapes of Wrath.

Connie's Identity

The first time we are introduced to Connie, the narrator tells us that he is Rose of Sharon's ''nineteen year old husband.'' We don't know what he looks like, what he does for a living, or anything about him aside from his importance in relation to his wife. The narrator explains that Rose of Sharon is pregnant and that ''Connie was proud and fearful of Rose of Sharon.'' The narrator also tells us that Connie would often touch Rose of Sharon as a way to maintain his connection to her. Connie seems to worry that her growing connection to the baby would change their relationship. The narrator puts it clearly when he explains,''The world had drawn close around them, and they were in the center of it, or rather Rose of Sharon was in the center of it with Connie making a small orbit about her'