The Grapes of Wrath quotes Flashcards
Banks + tractors
“They breathe profits; they eat the interest on money.”
the monster has to have profits all the time
‘They were men and slaves’ versus he blames by bank employees ‘you know the land is poor.’
‘the tenant system won’t work anymore’
‘The monster isn’t men’
‘The bank – the monster has to have profits all the time.’
vs. ‘it’s our land’
‘great crawers moving like insects’
‘the monster that built the tractor’
‘surge of power … slicing blades shining … raping methodically, raping withput passion.’
vs. ‘the property is him, it’s part of him, and it’s like him.’
Strength in community quotes
‘not mine, but ours.’
‘from “I” to “we”’
‘The Western States are nervous under the beginning of change.’
The family became a unit
We’re the people that live. They ain’t gonna wipe us out. Why, we’re the people — we go on.
Tom saw Willie near the band and signaled him = the group effectively deal with those attempting to start a riot so the deputy can come into the camp.
Gender
‘The women came out of the houses to stand beside their men.’
‘Seems like times is changed … Time was when a man said what we’d do. Seems like women is tellin’ now.’
vs. ‘you ain’t a-doin’ your job’
Ma v Pa again = Women taking over the fambly vs. Ma = women can change better than a man
Men work efficiently when they have a purpose = ‘over the men came a fury of work, a fury of battle.’
Individuals own American Dream
Truck driver = ‘I’m thinking of takin’ one of them correspondence school courses.’
Turtle crossing road = ‘‘the driver saw the turtle and swerve to hit it.’
Grampa = ‘Gonna get me a whole bunch a grapes off a bush.’
RoS = ‘he’s gonna study at home, so he can be an expert … I’m gonna have a doctor … we’ll live in town an’ go to the pitchers’
Ma = ‘Soon’s we can, I want a little house.’
Casy’s philosophy
‘Maybe it ain’t sin. Maybe it’s just the way folks is … There ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue. There’s just stuff people do.’
‘I love people so much.’
‘Not a lot of prayer, but of thought … thinking all the time.’
Effect of tractors
Muley Graves = ‘I ain’t a-goin’ .
.. they tractored all the tenants off a lan’. All ‘cept me
… I’m just wanderin’ around like a damn old graveyard ghost.’
‘The houses were vacant … weeds sprang up in front of the doorstep’ - nature takes over - abandoned no life - like Muley Graves
Prison talk
‘It ought to have some meaning … I’d do her [murder] again’
They was a guy paroled ‘bout a month he’s back for breakin’ parole. A guy ast him why he bust this parole. ‘Well, hell,’ he says. ‘They got no conveniences at my old man’s place. Got no ‘lectric lights, got no shower baths. There ain’t no books, an’ the food’s lousy.’”
Criticism of businesses and the government
Salesmen, neat, deadly, small intent eyes watching for weakness
vs.
We’re going to California. I got to get a car = desperation
‘they call that sound business … fella in business got to lie and cheat
‘if that fella’ll work for 30 cents, I’ll work for 25.’
IC: ‘dump potatoes in the river and place guards along the banks to keep the hungry people from fishing them out … the children dying of pellagra must die because a profit cannot be taken from an orange.’
“Go down and tell ‘em. Go down in the street an’ rot an’ tell ‘em … that’s the only way you can talk.” = anger at situation/cirvumstances causing Rose of Sharon’s miscarriage.
Those who leave voluntarily
Noah believes leaving will benefit the family as he is presented as an outsider from the beginning: ‘Noah left the impression of being misshapen’ — ‘they don’t really care for me’
Connie = ‘I ain’t seen Connie for a long time. Where’d he go?’ — ‘Said it would have been a good thing if he stayed home an’ studiied up tractors.’ — I didn’t know they was places like this we got to live in.”
Tom =
Uncertainity as American Dream presented as a failure
How nice it’s gonna be, maybe, in California … if we all get jobs
Grampa refuses to leave ‘I just ain’t a-goin’ - so drugged
Intercalary chapter = ‘there ain’t room enough for you’
‘so goddam hungry they’ll work for nothing’ = ‘ragged man’
Ma description
The muscles of her forearms corded out - androgenous figure - strength
Ma was powerful in the group … the family began to function
For a long time she held the box … instantly the fire sighed up and breathed over the box = funeral
‘They all depen’ on me’ - when first leaving in car = Noah’s Ark
‘I’ll knock you belly-up with a bucket’ = threats vs. ‘Pa looked helplessly’ - ‘Ma had won’ = keeps the family together = matrarchy
‘The family looked at Ma in terror at her strength’
‘She ain’t been treated decent for a long time.’ = Tom
Deaths
The dog, a blot of blood and tangled, burst intestines, kicked slowly in the road.’
Grampa = ‘A struggle began in the old man’s body, his lega moved restlessly’ - Casy: ‘he died the minute you took ‘im off the place … he was that place.’ - man’s connection to land lost
Granma = ‘She’s awright – awright’ [dead but had to get through checkpoint] vs. ‘Granma’s dead’
Dignity in poverty
‘She [Granma] was on show now’ = following Grammpa’s death
The fambly got to get decent
They ate silently, wolfishly
Generosity of the poor
IC = Mae: ‘You got change’ - gives candy to children for free
vs. ‘one-eyed man’ full of complaints = Tom leaves after giving him advice so hopw which is lost when he leaves which “strengthened the walls of his loneliness”
Ma feeds the children = ‘A mound of children smothered the pot from sight
vs. parents of starving children = ‘Don’ you go a-boastin’ an’ a-braggin’ ‘bout havin’ stew.’
Ma: ‘if your in trouble or hurt or need - go to the poor. They’re the only ones that’ll help.’
Weedpatch quotes vs. Hooverville
IC: ‘leaders emerged, then laws ere made, then codes.’
‘Folks here elect their own cops … [Ma:] you got wash tubs — running water … central commitee keeps order an’ makes rules.’
The people make their own laws
We come home to our own people … these folks is our folks … why, I feel like people again.’
vs. “There was a Hooverville on the edge of every town … a great junk pile.”
