Chapter 25 of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Essay -- Grapes Wr

Chapter 25 of The Grapes of Wrath by fast one SteinbeckIn the twenty-fifth chapter of his novel The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck presents the reader with a series of vivid images, accompanied by a series of powerful indictments. Steinbeck effectively uses both the potent imagery and cleared statements of what he perceives as fact to convey his message. This short chapter offers a laconic portrayal of one of the major themes of the larger work. Namely, the potential bounty of temperament corrupted and left to rot by a profit-driven transcription, a system that ultimately fails. Steinbeck begins the chapter with the simple statement, The spring is beautiful in California (p. 346). The deed explanation of Californias springtime beauty evokes images of Eden and Paradise. Steinbeck describes the expert green hills, fragrant valleys of fruit blossoms, the swelling tendrils of grapes, and mile-long rows of lettuce, cauliflower, and artichoke. The fertility of the land is explicitl y conveyed by the sentence, The full green hills are round and soft as breasts (p. 346). Round and soft breasts bring to mind both the voluptuous externalize of a fertility goddess, and the comfort and safety of a mothers embrace. The images that Steinbeck puts down here portray California as an abundant Eden. undefendable of providing for all of her children, just as a mother would.Californias bounty is graphically depicted when Steinbeck says, The fruit grows heavy, and the limbs bend gradually to a lower place the fruit so that little crutches must be placed under them to support the weight (p. 346). Imagine a hungry man breeding those lines Fruit so large and full that the branches bend and must be supported by crutches. It is as though Steinbeck has just describe... ...he yield of the harvest. thus far there is a failure that Steinbeck perceives. He sees the hungry and starving people. How is it that disrespect the achievements of the outdo and brightest of humanity th ere still exist starving children? The serve that Steinbeck implies in the course of the chapter is that it is the system that is to blame. Any system of commerce that utilizes the best of human knowledge and pools the resources of humanity in its drive to make a profit, but is unable to prevent a child from starving to death, is a failure. It is a great and despicable failure in Steinbecks eyes. in that respect is a sorrow here that weeping cannot symbolize (p. 349).Works CitedOvid, Metamorphoses. (The Ages of the World.) SRP 435 company handout.Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York Penguin/ Viking Critical Library, 1997.Tantalus. SRP 435 class handout.