I am reading the Grapes of Wrath because it was recommended to me by my CT. I will be teaching a unit on the Great Depression and the New Deal for my edTPA and Grapes of Wrath is one of his favorite books. I was a bit apprehensive because I have read Of Mice and Men and I didn't really enjoy it at the time. Granted I was in High School and I was reading it during soccer season, so I didn't really like wading through the thick, stagnant marsh that is Steinbeck's writing every night. To high school me, his writing seemed at best slow moving, and at worst pointless.
Now, as a grad student, I am 75% done reading GOW (I will use GOW to refer to Grapes of Wrath) and I have really enjoyed it. The rich symbolism that Steinbeck uses throughout the book is no longer as taxing as it was to me as a high schooler. The best example of this symbolism is the land turtle that Steinbeck writes about in the early part of the book and then refers back to throughout the novel. When it first appears, the turtle has nothing to do with the story which leads many of my CT's high school students to grow frustrated and ask why they are reading about some turtle. Should this book be subtitled, "The Great Depression: A turtle's perspective"?
With age comes patience, which allows more time for processing sophisticated writing. I had a discussion about the book with a professor and he informed me that the turtle represents the Okie's. "Always goin' someplace. They always seem to want to get there." Mistreated, like when the truck swerves off the road to try to crush the turtle, the Okie's just keep their head down and keep going.
There are other instances of symbolism in the book but the turtle is easily my favorite so far. Because, come on, "every kid wanted a turtle at one time or another."
Now, as a grad student, I am 75% done reading GOW (I will use GOW to refer to Grapes of Wrath) and I have really enjoyed it. The rich symbolism that Steinbeck uses throughout the book is no longer as taxing as it was to me as a high schooler. The best example of this symbolism is the land turtle that Steinbeck writes about in the early part of the book and then refers back to throughout the novel. When it first appears, the turtle has nothing to do with the story which leads many of my CT's high school students to grow frustrated and ask why they are reading about some turtle. Should this book be subtitled, "The Great Depression: A turtle's perspective"?
With age comes patience, which allows more time for processing sophisticated writing. I had a discussion about the book with a professor and he informed me that the turtle represents the Okie's. "Always goin' someplace. They always seem to want to get there." Mistreated, like when the truck swerves off the road to try to crush the turtle, the Okie's just keep their head down and keep going.
There are other instances of symbolism in the book but the turtle is easily my favorite so far. Because, come on, "every kid wanted a turtle at one time or another."
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