Chatpers 21 - 25

Chapter 21
Here we see how the people of California truly react to the migrants. Seeing the people hungrier, sadder, and more deprived than they have ever seen terrified them. It also goes to show that the migrants are willing to work no matter how low the wages might be.

Chapter 22

They have just made it to the government camp. At the front of the camp, a man tells them that a place has just opened and that they can live at that one. So they go set up and hit the hay. In the morning Tom wakes early, so he decides to talk to the neighbors. The neighbors think they can get Tom a temporary job where they work. Ruthie being already awake Tom tells her about the job opportunity so that she will tell Ma and Pa when they wake up. Later when Winfield wakes up, the two children decide to explore the sanity unit. Here is a comical scene where Winfield flushes the toilet and thinks he broke it. Ruthie promises him she won't tell, but it is the first thing she does when she gets back. Ma decides to go take a look at their new place, when she gets to the sanitary units she accidentally goes into the men's. The camp manager stops by and has a cup of coffee with Ma and welcomes them to their new home. He explains some of the things that goes on, and tells Ma that the committee will be by in a little bit to welcome them. Getting a bath the two lady Joads wait for the committee to arrive. Later a woman stops by to see Rose of Sharon and tell her to be good or else she will miscarry. Rose of Sharon is very upset by this and gets even more worried about the babies health. Pa, Al, and Uncle John spend their days unsuccessfully looking for work. John is still going through his nonsense about his sins bringing bad luck to his family and how he should leave. After the committee leaves Ma had a run in with Mrs. Sanders, the lady that upset Rose of Sharon.

Chapter 23

In this chapter is talks about how something so beautiful can be ruined, and you feel sick about what had happened. It also tells about music and what a wonderful thing it is. Mentions the harmonica and a guitar, how the guitar is more precious, but the harmonica is easier to carry. It also talks about a preacher and his people and how they all were saved, and how the children wish they knew all the sins so they could do them. It ends by saying how the migrants wander the roads looking for pleasure.

Chapter 24

During this chapter everyone is excitedly getting ready for the dance. The committee learns of some outsiders that are going to come in and cause trouble so the police could come in. The men get a group together to keep an eye out for the intruders. Hutson was worried that the group of men he had would harm the intruders; He only wants to catch them and tell them not to do it again because next time the won't be so nice and to get some information out of them. When the time comes the boys get the intruders easily and take them to Hutson. He asks his questions, tells them straight, and lets them go. The police were sitting outside of the gate waiting to come. They came up and asked if any trouble was going on, and when the answer was no the cops were confused and more than likely were embarrassed their plan did not work. Early in the chapter Rose of Sharon is dead set that she should not go to the dance. Ever since the woman came around and troubled her she has been extra cautious since. Ma finally talks Rose of Sharon into going to the dance; Ma is going to tell any boy that comes up to ask Rose of Sharon to dance, that Rose is sick and will not be dancing tonight. Rose has many boys come ask her to dance, but they were all turned down.

Chapter 25

In chapter 25 the fruit is starting to ripen, and the migrants want to work to pick the fruit. Wages are very low, so low the people will not work for them. Because there are no workers to pick the fruit, the fruit goes bad and is wasted. The migrants die and the cause of death on most the death certificates is malnutrition.

Learned from the People

There are many lessons that can be learned in this book. The main lesson that I have learned is how much people can change. One character that did went through a rather large change would be Ma. At the begging of the Grapes of Wrath she was just like any other house wife. At the end of the book she was a completely different person. She was very much about keeping the family together. If the family were to go separate ways she would not know what to do; in the end, the family does split up with Noah living at the river, Connie running away, Tom leaving to protect the family, and Al staying with his fiance. Another person that has changed is Pa. He went from being the head of the family to letting Ma take charge. This is proven when Ma says she is going to take control, and when things get settled down it will go back to normal. Al has also changed throughout the book. He went from "tom-catting around" to getting engaged at the end. There are also many other changes throughout the book dealing with Casy, Tom, Muley, Ruthie, and Winfield. Some of them were positive changes and some negative.

Understanding the Book

Casy's Death



This shows how there is no mercy with the people. They will do whatever it takes just to be able to feed their families. The police were wrong for killing innocent people, but they are just trying to make a buck; if the means killing people then that is what they will do. It also goes along with Casy's "new religion" he went out of his way to help the people, and he died doing it. This event shows us the extreme's people will go in life.



The End



This very akward ending also deals with Casyology. Casyology is the idea that people help one another, and they go out of their way to do it. In the end we have Rose of Sharon feeding a starved stranger. She had never met this mand before, but the only way he would be able to survive was her. So she did what she had to do to give the helpless man hope.

My Memorable Moment

My memorable moment in The Grapes of Wrath is the very beggining when Tom convinces the truck driver to give him a ride. It is my favorite moment because it shows how he can persuade people, and it was kind of a comical scene once you think about it. It also shows the struggle between doing wrong and right. Once in the truck you can tell the man wants to ask all kinds of questions, but he holds back; instead tells about his plans on taking night classes and making alot more money. Tom finally tells what he did to be in jail when let off at his stop.

Chapters 17-20

Chapter 17



This chapter deals with how all of the migrant families are becoming one. They are going along with the Casyology that is happening in the book. The families help one another. They have become one unit. If one family hurts, they all hurt. They share everything and have nothing of their own. They set up camp together at night, and they tear it down in the morning.







Chapter 18



Here the Joads and Wilsons have came to the border of Arizona. There a guard asks them about any foreign plants they might be carrying. They tell the guard that Granma is very sick, so that gets them out of getting the truck searched. They settle down at a camp by the river to stay for the night. While they were there Granma was very sick, and when a lady wants to come and hold a meeting Ma tells her to go away because Granma is too tired. After this happens Ma is standing outside the tent when a guard comes along and asks how long they are staying. The guard is being very rude about it and this upsets Ma. So she tells the man they are only staying for the night, and that if he gives her any more trouble she will knock him out with a skillet. The Next day Sairy is not feeling well and knows she won't make it across the desert, so the Wilsons stay behind while the Joads move on. On the trip Uncle John starts feeling guilty about his sins; he thinks that his sins are bringing back luck to his folks. He talks to Casy about this and Casy tells him that it is only sins if John thinks it is sin. During the trip they get stopped again to be checked for any seeds, plants, etc. At this stop Ma tells the guard that they have nothing of what they are looking for, and that Granma is really sick so they need to get going along. This works and the guard tells them where a doctor is. When they make is across the border Ma tells them that Granma is dead, so they use some of the money left to have her buried properly.







Chapter 19



This chapter is tells us about when the Mexicans had California. It also tells us of how the farmers no longer farm on land but paper. It tells us about Hoovervilles and Okies. It shows us how some of the children act, and how some of the deputies act.







Chapter 20

Here they have just had Granma buried and the death certificate signed. They are back on their trip again. They stop for the night and their first Hooverville. Pa talks to a man and tries to figure out why they sent out so many hand bills when there are not as many jobs as what it seems. Al is happy about how well the car has lasted. Connie and Rose of Sharon talk about the future, Rose of Sharon is worried that Connie isn't going to study like he said. Connie reassures her and tells her he is going to as soon as he gets on his feet. When they get set up Ma starts cooking. While she is cooking a crows of children gather around the pot of stew because they are very hungry. Once everyone in the family got their share, Ma left the pot for the children to have. The neighbor lady was not happy about what Ma had done because she the lady thought Ma was showing off. After dinner Tom and Al went over to Floyd's because Floyd was going to tell them about work up north because there is not any work left where they are at. A little bit later two men in a nice car pull up; one man gets out and asks if anyone would like work. The men sitting around ask about contracts and wages, and when the man doesn't does not answer Tom and Floyd tell him off. When the arguing happens the other man gets out of the car. This other man turns out to be a deputy. The men give the deputy a fight, and Casy ends up taking the fall. When the police come back and take Casy away, they tell them Hooverville people that the camp will be burnt down later that night. Also in this chapter Connie leaves, and John wants to tell his sin. John goes and gets drunk off of two dollars out of the five he was holding back. Tom had to go out and get John before the camp was set on fire. So when he was found Tom had to knock John out to carry him back. Then the family started moving again.

Chapters 8- 16

Chapter 8

In this chapter Tom and Casy are on their way to Uncle John's house. Here they introduce Uncle John to us. We are told about his wife dying, and how he has not been the same since. Later we finally meet the family. They are all surprised to see him because he was not supposed to be home for another 3 years. The family and Casy talk and catch up on things he has missed. He also learns that Al has been traveling around the country.



Chapter 9

All of the farmers are gathering their belongings. This is happening because they need to get rid of what they do not need on the trip. All the farmers gather what the are not, or cannot, take with them on their trip west. They take them and put them in one big pile to burn. The chapter ends with the farmers driving away with the dust hanging in the air.



Chapter 10

At the beginning of the chapter, Ma is worried that California is all that it is cracked up to be. She says that it seems too good. The Joad family is talking about the trip, and how ready they are to go. Casy asks if they wouldn't mind him coming along, and of course they didn't care. Casy and Ma talk a little bit about his new religion. Tom is told by his sister, Rose of Sharon, that she is married and pregnant. They finally start getting everything loaded when Al gets back with the truck. They are sit and chat a while. Some other things that happen in this chapter is the pig being slaughtered for food, the Joads had one last chat with Muley, and Grampa refusing to leave. To get Grampa to leave they give him coffee with medicine in it to knock him out. Then they leave on the trip to California.

Chapter 11

This chapter just describes the town after everyone has left. It shows the how vacant the town.

Chapter 12

This chapter shows some of the troubles a family has gone through on their trip. Their car breaking a part and running out of money, and their not being any water at that stop to give to Danny in the back seat. It gives us a feel of what it was really like to travel on such a tight budget back then.

Chapter 13

When they get to the first filling station they meet, Al fills up the truck and gets some water. The two men inside are talking about what the country is coming to and how they do not understand it. Tom broke in and told them that they really didn't know what is was coming to because they were just told, but they asked the same question again. While at the filling station Connie and Rose of Sharon are in their own the little world talking about what they are going to do when they get to California. They also meet the Wilsons in this chapter. The two families quickly become friends. When they first meet the Wilsons, Grampa is very sick and goes to lay in the Wilson's tent. After a while he dies from a stroke. The Joads decided to bury Grampa where they are because they do not have enough money for a nice funeral, and don't want him to be buried a pauper. They also decide that leaving a note beside the grave is a good idea so if someone finds him they will know what has happened. For letting them use their tent, Al and Tom are going to fix the Wilson's car in the morning, so they can all get a move on.

Chapter 14

This chapter is about how the people of the Western states are becoming nervous of the change. It says in a round about way that if everything seems to be okay then is it really not, but if bad things are happening there are steps being taken to try to fix them.

Chapter 15

Here we are in a diner/rest stop. It shows the usual way things happen with the truckers. They like when the truckers come because that is where the money is. When a man and his two boys come in the waitress is not very thrilled. He comes in and wants to buy bread for 10 cents, but the bread the diner has is 15 cent bread. So finally she gives it to him for 10 cents, and tells him that the candy is two for a penny. The candy is actually 5 cents a piece.

Chapter 16

The Joads and Wilsons are moving along on their trip. Ma and Rose of Sharon are talking about what they are going to do when they get to CA. Al hears a noise the car is making and thinks something is wrong. When they pull over Tom and Al wanted the rest of the family to go ahead in the truck, and they will catch up in the car as soon as they get it fixed. Ma did not like this idea and refused to go along with it, and anyone that disagreed with her was going to get hit in the head with a piece of iron. So they came to an agreement that Tom and Casy would stay with the car until Al got back, the rest of the family would make it to a decent place to stay while the car was getting fixed. When Al got back him and Tom went to the last place they seen to get the piece they needed. There they met the one-eyed man. They got what they needed, went back to the car and fixed it. Not before telling the one-eyed man to get make something of his disability, not throw a pity party. When they get to the camp where everyone else is staying, they family is surprised to see them back so soon. Tom, Al, and Casy were going to stay with them but if would have cost extra with the additional car. So after talking awhile Tom, Casy, and Uncle John went to go on ahead.

Grapes of Wrath: Ch. 1-7 Summary.

Chapter 1

This chapter tells us the setting. We know we are in Oklahoma; the weather is very dry and it is EXTREMELY dusty. The men and women are worried, but the men say it will be alright, so the women and children believe them.

Chapter 2

During this chapter we meet a few characters. Although we do not know the name, we meet Joad. He is trying to get home and wants to hitch a ride from the truck driver. The truck driver was not going to allow him to ride because it is not allowed. Because he did not want to be a bad guy, the truck driver allowed Joad to ride with him. The two men chat while taking their journey. Answering and asking questions. After some akward, Joad decides he is going to continue his journey on foot.

Chapter 3

A turtle struggling to make its journey. It talks about how he was trying to get over the cement block, and how a lady swerved to miss the turtle. It also shows us that some people go out of their was to cause harm. The turtle makes his way over the block safely and gets turns right side up. Now he is continuing his journey down the dusty road.

Chapter 4

Once the truck has left Joad starts walking towards his home. On his way home he spots a willow tree; he heads toward it in hope to catch some shade. When he reaches the tree he finds an old friend sitting there. Jim Casey is sitting under the tree singing a song. They talk a while under the tree catching up on what Tom has missed. They talk about how Jim is no longer a preacher because he no longer believes in the "sperit"; he believes there is no sin, that people do what they do. After a while of talking they decided to finish the journey together. They start heading towards home. Once they have reached it they find that there is no one left.

Chapter 5

During chapter 5 we learn that most of the farmers are going to leave and search for new jobs. This is happening because the bank has repossessed all the land and are planning to use all of it for farm land. The person driving the tractor is one of the sons of a farmer; the people ask him why he is doing it. He replies that he has to take care of his family; that he cannot think of the other people, he needs to focus on getting money so he can feed his family.

Chapter 6

Now the two men are looking at all of the damage that has been done. They are sitting down by the house when the cat comes along. That is when they figured that everyone left in a hurry. If not all of the boards and belonging would have been taken. In this chapter we also meet Muley Graves. He is the only person that is left in the town. He has been wondering around surviving on petty animals like frogs, and what not. They make a fire and cook a rabbit; while they are eating Muley talks about how he is "touched" be seeing past events that has happened, and he is just catching up with the men because he has been alone for so long. After talking for a while they decide they will sleep the night there, and then take off for Uncle John's the next day. (That is where Tom's family went). The "cave" where Muley is staying is a hole that Tom and his brother dug; Tom refuses to stay in it. He just wants to sleep under the stars.

Chapter 7

This chapter is about a car salesman trying to sale as many cars as he can. He makes many deals, and he even ends up taking a mule team along with some monthly payments for a car. It told about his process of selling cars. How he starts at a nice car and then works down to what he thinks the person is going to buy.