Grapes of Wrath

17 Pages 4126 Words

Even though most Americans knew of the Great Depression of 1929, few know of the many Americans that lost their homes, life savings and jobs. This paper states the causes of the depression and the variety of problems Americans faced during the eleven years of its span. The focus is on what life was like for farmers during the time of the Depression, as portrayed in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath.

John Steinbeck, born in 1902, grew up during the Depression and wrote many books of fiction based on his background and experiences during that time. In one of his great works, “The Grapes of Wrath” Steinbeck describes the farmer’s troubles during the Great Depression and drought. When the rains failed to come, the crops began to disappear. As the farmers watched their plants turn brown and the dirt slowly turn to dust they began to fear what was to come. “The air was thin and the sky more pale; and every day the earth paled. (Steinbeck 3).” The farmers worst fears were realized when their corn and other crops began to die. “The dust became so bad they had to cover their mouths with handkerchiefs so they could breath” (Steinbeck 3). When the drought hit the Great Plains and the soil turned to dust, many farmers moved to California because they could no longer farm their land.

During the 1920's (after World War 1) there were many indicators that a Depression was inevitable. One of the major causes of the great depression was the fact that wages for workers were not increasing. As a result a majority of the lower income families could not afford manufactured goods. As America adopted new ways of production to produce goods faster and cheaper this left many workers without pay and no way to feed their families. As factories manufactured goods, Americans weren't able to afford them and the factories were beginning to loose money. The farming communities were affected greatly because they were producing mor...