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.