Grampa's death works as a major defining event in the Joad's trip west. Grampa had been the most enthusiastic about going west from the very beginning, and his death has a huge impact on the family morale. His death stands as a symbol of the effects of the migration on the migrant workers.
When the workers leave their land behind a part of them dies. They are being forced to leave the land they love and work. Each farmer has a special connection to his land, and having to leave it tares him apart. The farmers and their families leave all familiarities, comfort, friends and even some family and pursue an entirely new life. Their journey is not an easy one either, they are faced with constant criticism and hatred. In the case of the Joad family the entirety of Grampa dies because he has "left his soul" in Oklahoma. He embodies the suffering the farmers feel.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment