Money In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath

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The Grapes of Wrath and the Importance of Money
In The Grapes of Wrath money or better yet the lack of money was a recurring issue in the entire book. Not only did money have a major influence on the plot but it is also tied directly to some of the major themes of the book. It should also be noted that money had a considerable effect on the, some ways depressing, out some of the story.
The first issue with money is that the Joad's were not able to harvest their crops; they could not make money and they ended up getting evicted from their land. Since the Joad's don't have any money this sets up the rest of the book and the events that follow. The Joads don't have any money and there are no jobs in Oklahoma, due to the horrid drought that has …show more content…
The migrant workers bonded and worked together, “In the evening a strange thing happened: the twenty families became one family, the children of one were the children of all. The loss of home became one loss, and the golden time in the west became one dream” (Page 193). Due to the lack of money and the need to go to California to make money all the separate entities became one family, one unit. Throughout the entire book generosity is a huge theme, for example the migrant workers were constantly helping and assisting each other due to the universal lack of money. Since the migrants were so close with one another they were very generous one another, “A family which the night before lost and fearful might search to find a present for a newborn baby” (Page 193). The people helped and supported one another, “A man with food fed a hungry man, and thus insured himself against hunger. And when a baby died a pile of silver coins grew at the door flap, for a baby must be well buried since it has had nothing else of life. An old man may be left in a potter’s field, but not a baby” (Page 195). Countless times throughout the book the migrant families were helping one another. For example the Joads and Wilsons helped one another in many ways. Ivy and Sairy allowed their tent to be used while Granpa was sick. For a little while the families travelled together and assisted each other
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