Group Blog: Themes in Ch 7-9

These three chapters work together in a similar way as the first three chapters to enforce the theme of man's inhumanity to man. Chapter seven is narrated from the point of view of a used car sales man telling his workers how to effectively rip off the migrant workers. The workers need to get out of Oklahoma so they will pay any price necessary.

The ninth chapter takes the perspective of the migrant workers. They need get out of Oklahoma and find their way to California. With only one truck available to move their entire family as well as all of their belongings the farmers are forced to sell most of their material items. However, even this does not prove to be profitable. Farmers are faced with brokers who offer very little for the goods.

As before chapter eight is from the perspective of Tom Joad. He meets up with his family at his Uncle John's, after finding his farm vacant. Upon finding his family he discovers that they are leaving Oklahoma and heading west. They've purchased a car, which Al inspected before buying as to avoid being swindled out of a good car. Again the Joad's find themselves in the middle of this theme of man's inhumanity to man. On one side they need a car and are swindled into paying an outrageous price and on the other they are selling all their goods for little to no profit. They are being exploited by other men who thrive off of their desperate situation.