Set during the Great Depression, The Grapes of Wrath, written by John Steinbeck focuses on the Joads, a poor family of tenant farmers who are forced out of work due to various reasons. Drought, lack of money, the change in the agricultural industry and debts, trouble the Joads.
The Dust Bowl, a period of severe dust storms, adds to their burden. Finding no other way to survive, the Joads leave their Oklahoma home and set out for California. This journey is a search for jobs, land, money, dignity and a bright future.
Steinbeck based his novel on his many visits to the migrant camps and tent cities of the workers. He had witnessed the horrible living conditions of migrant families. His colloquial style of writing made it easy for the readers to understand the plight of migrant workers. The novel was widely welcomed and hailed by working-class readers. It instantly began to be regarded as an American classic.
The novel begins just after the protagonist Tom Joad is paroled from the McAlester prison. He had been jailed after being convicted of murder in self-defence. While hitch-hiking to his home near Sallisaw, Oklahoma, Tom meets former preacher Jim Casy who tells him that his family has been evicted from the farm and has moved in with Uncle John.
Tom goes to meet Uncle John along with Jim Casy. Together, they all set out for California. They encounter many obstacles on the journey. They are also warned that the jobs they expect in California are illusory.
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