The Grapes of Wrath – Context (OCR A-Level English Literature): Revision Notes
The Grapes of Wrath – Context
Steinbeck's writing process
When John Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath, he experienced significant personal and creative struggles. He faced considerable self-doubt about his work, at one stage expressing fears that the book was falling apart. During the writing process, Steinbeck dealt with financial difficulties and the death of his brother-in-law, which added to his emotional burden.
Steinbeck recorded in his journal that his entire nervous system felt battered by the intensity of the creative process. He worried the novel would turn out to be merely ordinary rather than exceptional.
These fears proved entirely groundless, as the novel went on to achieve both critical acclaim and commercial success in the United States.
Critical reception and controversy
The Grapes of Wrath was published in 1939 and immediately became a bestseller. Within its first year, the novel sold 428,000 copies. The book's success quickly attracted Hollywood's attention, with 20th Century Fox securing the film rights. Director John Ford brought the story to screen in 1940, creating a film that achieved both critical praise and commercial success. Steinbeck expressed particular appreciation for Henry Fonda's portrayal of Tom Joad.
Public backlash
Despite its success, the novel generated significant controversy and faced harsh criticism from multiple quarters:
-
Regional opposition: People in Oklahoma complained that Steinbeck portrayed their entire state as poverty-stricken, whilst Californians objected to the critical depiction of landowners.
-
Censorship: Some libraries banned the book, and several towns held ceremonial book burnings. This extreme response reflected the anger some readers felt about the novel's social criticism.
-
Personal threats: Steinbeck received death threats as a result of his work.
-
Government surveillance: J. Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI, became convinced that Steinbeck held Communist sympathies and placed him under constant surveillance.
The reaction to The Grapes of Wrath was so extreme that it included book burnings, library bans, and death threats against Steinbeck. This reflects how powerfully the novel challenged existing social and economic structures.
Steinbeck's patriotism
Despite suspicions about his political leanings, Steinbeck was deeply patriotic. During World War II, he attempted to enlist in the armed forces. However, the military refused his service because they suspected him of being a Communist. Steinbeck instead served as a war correspondent, writing propaganda material that supported the war effort.
The Great Depression
The economic and ecological disasters that struck the United States during the 1930s provided the historical foundation for The Grapes of Wrath. Understanding this context is essential for appreciating the novel's themes and significance.
The stock market crash
In October 1929, the U.S. stock market crashed, plunging the country into an economic depression that lasted over a decade. The crash had devastating consequences:
- Millions of people suddenly found themselves unemployed
- Poverty became widespread across the nation
- Many U.S. citizens grew dissatisfied with their government's handling of the crisis
Impact on farmers
Farmers faced particularly severe hardships during this period:
- Crop failures became common
- Prices for farm products fell dramatically
- Many farmers could no longer sustain their livelihoods
- Thousands lost their farms entirely
The economic crisis hit farmers especially hard because they faced both falling crop prices and widespread crop failures. This dual pressure made it nearly impossible for many to maintain their farms and livelihoods.
The Dust Bowl
Alongside the economic depression, an ecological disaster struck the American Midwest. This environmental catastrophe became known as the Dust Bowl.
Causes and effects
The Dust Bowl resulted from a combination of natural and human-made factors:
- Extreme drought: Prolonged periods without rain devastated the region
- Soil erosion: Poor farming practices left topsoil vulnerable to wind
- Dust storms: Massive storms carried away tons of soil from farmland
- Geographic impact: Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and other states suffered terrible farming conditions
The Dust Bowl was not purely a natural disaster – it resulted from both natural drought conditions and poor farming practices that left the soil vulnerable to erosion. This human contribution to the disaster made its effects far more severe.
Human consequences
The Dust Bowl had profound effects on the population:
- Crops failed across vast areas
- Thousands of people lost their farms and homes
- Many became migrant labourers – workers who travelled from place to place seeking employment
- Large numbers migrated to California and other regions in search of work
The novel's historical timing
When The Grapes of Wrath appeared in 1939, the Great Depression had been ongoing for approximately ten years. Although President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal policies had improved economic conditions somewhat, they had not succeeded in fully lifting the country out of depression. Many Americans felt frustrated and angry about their circumstances.
The novel resonated strongly with readers because they could identify with the Joad family's struggles. The unfair and selfish labour practices depicted in the story outraged many who recognised similar injustices in their own lives.
Social impact and labour reform
The Grapes of Wrath had lasting effects beyond its literary success. The novel contributed to real improvements in working conditions and inspired labour reform movements.
Eleanor Roosevelt's response
After Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, read the novel, she took direct action. She organised congressional hearings aimed at reforming labour laws governing migrant camps. This governmental response demonstrated the book's power to influence policy.
Real-World Impact: From Literature to Policy
Eleanor Roosevelt's response to The Grapes of Wrath shows how literature can drive social change:
Step 1: Roosevelt read the novel and was moved by the depiction of migrant workers' conditions
Step 2: She used her position as First Lady to organise congressional hearings
Step 3: These hearings led to labour law reforms for migrant camps
This demonstrates that Steinbeck's novel had tangible effects on government policy and workers' lives.
Cesar Chavez and the labour movement
The novel inspired many labour reform leaders, particularly Cesar Chavez, who became a prominent figure in the fight for workers' rights:
- In the 1960s, Chavez organised a union for migrant farmworkers
- One of his famous speeches called for a boycott of grape growers in California to secure better rights for grape pickers
- His efforts eventually led to the formation of the United Farm Workers of America, a labour union dedicated to improving working conditions and wages for migrant workers
The connection between Chavez's grape picker advocacy and Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath highlights the novel's enduring influence on social justice movements. The "grapes" connection was more than coincidental – it reflected the continued relevance of Steinbeck's themes decades after publication.
Key Points to Remember:
-
Steinbeck experienced severe self-doubt whilst writing the novel, fearing it would be ordinary, but it became an instant bestseller selling 428,000 copies in its first year.
-
The novel sparked controversy, facing bans, book burnings, and death threats, whilst J. Edgar Hoover placed Steinbeck under FBI surveillance suspecting Communist sympathies.
-
The Great Depression (beginning 1929) and the Dust Bowl created the historical context for the novel, with millions unemployed and thousands of farmers becoming migrant labourers.
-
The novel had real social impact: Eleanor Roosevelt organised congressional hearings for labour reform, and it inspired Cesar Chavez to form the United Farm Workers of America.
-
Published in 1939, the novel appeared ten years into the Depression when Americans were frustrated with economic conditions and could identify with the Joad family's struggles.