GOW Quotes Flashcards
“in the souls of the people, the grapes of wrath are filling and growing”
suggests that the grapes are food and could save lives, but the longer the banks keep them in a selfish manner, the more wrath builds inside the grapes
“For the quality of owning freezes you forever in ….”
“I, and cuts you off forever from the “we” “
Steinbeck’s comment on social politics and the dangers of isolating oneself in selfishness
“the bank is something more than men, I tell you. Its a monster….”
“Men made it, but they can’t control it”
Theme: Wealth
“Three dollars a day. I got damn sick of creeping for my dinner – and not getting it. I got a wife and kids. We got to eat. Three dollars a day. Is that right?”
Theme: wealth and poverty
When the monster stops growing, it dies. It can’t stay one size”
Theme: poverty and wealth
By referring to the economy as an inhumane thing - monster- the farmers are making it easier to do inhumane things as they don’t refer to it as themselves
“Fella gets use’ to a place, it’s hard to go,” said Casy. “Fella gets use’ to a way of thinkin’ it’s hard to leave.”
Theme: humankind relationship with nature
holding onto the past
“carloads of oranges dumped on the ground”
Theme: wealth and poverty, class divisions
Evidence of the unnecessary class division and unnecessary poverty
“repression only works to strengthen…”
“and knit the repressed”
Theme: class injustice
“How can we live without our lives? How will we “
” know it’s us without our past?”
Theme: holding onto the past
“Death was a friend, and sleep was Death’s brother.”
Theme: death and suffering
“Maybe all men got one big soul….”
“ever’body’s a part of”
Theme: community and family- the human spirit, strengthening the oppressed
“if he’s poor in hisself, there ain’t no million acres gonna make him feel rich, an’ maybe he’s disappointed that ….’
“nothin’ he can do ‘ll make him feel rich.”
Theme:L wealth and poverty, dissatisfaction, the American dream
“but it’s our land…We were born on it, and we got killed on it, died on it. Even if it’s no good, it’s still ours….”.
“That’s what makes ownership, not a paper with numbers on it”
Theme: mankind’s relationship with the land, holding onto the past
“We’re sorry. It’s not us. It’s the monster. …..”
“The bank isn’t like a man.”
Theme: wealth and social injustice
“Here is the node, you who hate change…..”
“and fear evolution”
Theme: class division and the fear of change, holding onto the past, class tension
the wealthy fear the change that all men can be equal and there won’t be pore and rich
“This is the beginning–from “I” to “we.”
Theme: protest, community, family, working together
“im jus’ pain covered ….”
“…with skin”
Theme: dissatisfaction, American dream, failure, grief
“You got a God. Don’t make no difference if you don’ …….”
“know what he looks like.”
Theme: the American dream
This quote alludes to the concept of the American dream, of course, the belief can be there, but if you can’t see the success of the American dream, how can you ecpect one to believe forever
“Man, unlike any other thing organic or inorganic in the universe, grows beyond his work, walks up the stairs of …….”
“his concepts, and emerges ahead of his accomplishments.”
Theme: American dream, hope, ambition
“There is a failure here that …..”
“topples all our success.”
Theme: American dream, failure, grief
“i gotta go where the folks is goin, an maybe i’ll be happy”
Suggests that a man is no good and cannot be happy without his community
