The clear messages of protest and the more subtle/hidden messages.
This is another book that most high schoolers/college students in America have read as a class assignment. It’s a powerful story about Depression era migrant workers.
The story highlights the struggles of these families that had to leave their family homes and headed west towards the hopes of finding jobs and stability, but also a very uncertain future. The journey itself was incredibly difficult and dangerous with many people dying along the way. Once they arrived in California the dream turns out to not be as lucrative as they hoped.
The book apparently angered the California farm industry due to it’s depiction of the harsh and unsafe working conditions. Steinbeck had visited the camps and also reviewed field notes from the Sanora Babb, a former Farm Security Administration employee and author, so his descriptions were based on facts and actual observations.
Steinbeck stated “I want to put a tag of shame on the greedy bastards who are responsible for this”.
Another quote that shows his championing of the downtrodden: “If you’re in trouble, or hurt or need – go to the poor people. They’re the only ones that’ll help – the only ones”.
(photo from newsok-pro-herokaupp.com/article
The Art of Peaceful Protest 