Animal imagery abounds in The Grapes of Wrath. An early chapter describes a turtle's journey to cross a road only to be hit by a truck (Chapter 3). Muley Graves describes himself as an animal when he claims, "I was mean like a wolf. Now I'm mean like a weasel" (57). In addition the family dog meets an untimely end on the first stop on their journey (130) .
Choose at least one such image from the chapters we have read. What is the symbolic value of the image? What is it telling us about themes, characters or ideas in this novel? What is the point of all this animal imagery?
The turtle in The Grapes of Wrath symbolizes the hardships of migration and the Joad's journey to the west. The turtle is first introduced in chapter four when Joad sees it traveling through the dust. This little turtle really has a big significance throughout the story, representing larger themes like perseverance. The turtle's shell is its home which it carries on its back everywhere it goes, which is like the Joad family carrying their belongings and memories from their house they had to leave behind. The Joad's are just like the turtle as they are forced to carry their home along with them, just like the turtle carries its home with him everywhere he goes. When Joad first saw the turtle, Steinbeck described the turtle as, “Crawling slowly along through the dust, its legs working stiffly and jerkily.”(page 17). The turtle's slow movements relate to the Joad's slow journey to California. The turtle is old and exhausted but continues on with its journey. The imagery of the turtle's journey mirrors the Joads experience on the road. They struggle at times, but they persevere and continue on with their travels. Just like the Joad family, the turtle has hit many obstacles along the way. On page 18 Joad approaches the turtle, “Instantly head and legs were withdrawn and the short thick tail clamped sideways into the shell.”(page 18). The turtle's shell protects the turtle from the grating world. As the turtle has its shell to protect it, the Joad family has such a strong family bond that keeps them together and protects them. On page 169 when Ma is scared of the family being separated she says, “All we got is the family unbroken. Like a bunch a cows, when the lobos are ranging, stick all together”(page 169). The Joad's bond is their protection just like the turtle's shell is its protection. The turtles journey and the Joad's journey have a lot of connection making the turtle a large symbol throughout the book.
ReplyDeleteThe jackrabbit in chapter 16 symbolizes travelers going west along route 66 and highlights how the journey is not easy, as well as foreshadows what will happen in the future. The passage is brief but has a strong symbolism that ties into one of the themes of the book. While Tom and Al are driving back from finding the camshaft to fix their car, they encounter a rabbit alongside the road. The imagery describes, “A jackrabbit got caught on the lights and he bounced along ahead, cruising easily, his great ears flopping with every jump.” (Page 185). The rabbit is an example of one of the many people traveling west. The rabbit progresses along the road just as the travelers do to get to California. Furthermore, this theme is highlighted in the passage where it says, “Now and then he tried to break off the road, but the wall of darkness thrust him back.” (Page 185). The rabbit, or the traveler, represents how they will get second thoughts and want to return home and not continue, but they have no other choice because going off the road leads to “darkness” and therefore they must follow the light and continue. As described in the passage, the “wall of darkness” is what keeps them on the road because they know that traveling to California is their only choice. On the contrary, the jackrabbit meets its demise when, “Far ahead bright headlights appeared and bore down on them. The rabbit hesitated, then faltered, then turned and bolted down toward the lesser lights of the Dodge. There was a small jolt as he went under the wheels.” (Page 185). By the rabbit’s hesitation, the journey ends as the cars do not stop and only make things more difficult for it. The cars on the road can be interpreted as obstacles, or people along the way that complicate the commute. As we have heard from multiple sources throughout the book, people out west are not as welcoming as they think and do not appreciate the mass amount of people coming to invade their land. The jackrabbit being run over by the cars foreshadows that the Joad’s, as well as all traveling, may face hardships as they approach their destination and that the journey will not be easy. This animal representation symbolizes the testing journey the Joad’s endure and foretells fate that is waiting for them on the other side.
ReplyDeleteIn The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck's use of animal imagery, specifically the turtle in Chapter 3, serves as a symbol to show the theme of perseverance, struggle, and determination, reflecting the challenges the Joad family and other migrant families face while traveling. The turtle is a symbol for the experience of migrants, as it faces challenges on its path to get across the highway, like the rocks in its path or the truck that hits it. Throughout the chapter, the animal is used to show several key themes that reflect the struggles of the Joad Family. The turtle’s slow movement and ability to get back up after getting hit by the truck suggests that a journey like this isnt easy and takes time, which shows the book's theme of perseverance. The turtle struggles on its walk, “The back legs went to work, straining like elephant legs,” (Page 15). This quote depicts the turtle working hard, which reflects the Joads working hard to make it to California. Additionally, the Joads, like the turtle, are hit with many challenges that would set them back on their journey to California, such as their car breaking down or Granpa dying. But just like how the turtle gets up and keeps moving, the Joads also do as they are determined to make it to California. The way the turtle gets up after being knocked down, “Lying on its back, the turtle was tight in its shell for a long time. But at last its legs waved in the air, reaching for something to pull it over…little by little the shell pulled over and flopped upright.” (Pages 15-16) serves as symbolism to the Joads. The turtle getting up symbolizes the Joad family's resilience, who keep going even after facing many setbacks. Although the family became ‘turned over’ when Grandpa got sick, they were able to ‘turn themselves back over’ and found light in the situation by traveling with the Wilsons. The turtle’s journey shows the hardships the Joads and other migrant families face, emphasizing that even after hitting obstacles, if you keep pushing and have resilience you can reach your goal. Through this animal imagery, Steinbeck helps the reader understand the migrant experience and highlights the emotional and physical challenges they face.
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