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.