-
Period: to
The Grapes of Wrath
-
Draught Hits Midwest in 1930
In Oklahoma and the rest of the Midwest, 1930 brings draught and dust. Some states were affected by the Dust Bowl of 1930. The huge cloud of dust devistated family farms and towns. EXPOSITION -
Tom Joad released
Tom Joad (main character) is released from four years of prison after being convicted of manslaughter. He comes out of prison as a new man. He lives in Oklahoma with his family. He has no idea of the dust bowl. EXPOSITION -
Tom meets Jim Casy
Tom meets former preacher, Jim Casy, on his walk home from prison. Tom and Jim drive to Tom's family farm together and talk about scaredness and holiness. They agree it hardly exists in the world. RISING ACTION -
Farms deserted
Tom and Jim find that all of the farms have been deserted. One of his old neighbors, Mulley Graves, says everyone has been "tractored" off thier land. He says all of the families moved to California to look for work. RISING ACTION -
Tom goes to his uncle's house
Tom goes to his uncle's house, where Mulley says he will find them. He finds his Ma, Pa, Aunt and Uncle packing up their few possesions. He saw a brochure about berry picking jobs in California. They say they will depart for California as soon as possible. RISING ACTION -
The Joads leave for California
The Joads get in their rackity truck and start the 2 month drive to California with everybody else in Oklahoma. RISING ACTION -
Grandpa dies
On the road for two months in a rackity old truck, grandpa dies two days before the family gets to California. Grandpa complained always about how arduous the trip would be and he wanted to die on his land. RISING ACTION -
Sairy Wilson dies near border
The Joads meet Sairy and Ivry Wilson on the clogged route 66 to Califonia. The Wilsons have car troubles so the Joads invite them to travel with them. Near the border, Sairy Wilson becomes ill and dies. RISING ACTION -
Grandma Dies and markets crash
The california markets crash. 160 people show up for one job. A man tells the Joads that their son starved to death and they might move back. This proves true and grandma Joad dies. RISING ACTION -
kids abandon family
The remaining family members move from one camp to the next, looking for work, struggling to find food. Noah, the oldest of the Joad children, soon abandons the family, so does Connie, a young dreamer who is married to Tom's pregnant sister, Rose of Sharron. RISING ACTION -
Overrowded camps
The camps are overcrowded with hungry newcomers. The people who live at the camps are nasty to each other. The new people who come are nastily named "Okies". Locals are fearful that the new people will take over their lives and work. RISING ACTION -
Hostility and the downfall of the camp
The pay for a week can't even pay for one decent meal. The owners fear an uprising so they try to keep the "Okies" poor and unfed. One night at at bar, Tom gets in to a heated debate and knocks he sheriff out and gets arrested. The California natives get approval to burn the camps down. RISING ACTION -
New government camp
A government-run camp proves much more hospitable to the Joads, and the family soon finds friends.And a bit of work. However, one day, while working at a pipe-laying job, Tom learns that the police are planning a riot in the camp, which will allow them to shut down the facilities. By alerting the men in the camp, Tom helps defuse the danger. RISING ACTION -
Steady Pay
The Joads recieve steady pay finally. They realize that they are payed extra to end a strike on working. Tom finally meets up with Jim Casy, who is organizing men to not work. He is evil among the landowners. RISING ACTION -
Police kill Jim
Police hunt Jim down and kill him in Tom's presence. Tom retaliates and kills the officer and then goes into hiding. CLIMAX -
Hiding away
Tom goes into hiding, while the family moves into a boxcar on a cotton farm. One day, Ruthie, the youngest Joad daughter, reveals to a girl in the camp that her brother has killed two men and is hiding nearby. Fearing for his safety, Ma Joad sends tom away again. FALLING aCTion -
Jim's dream continued
Tom heads off to fulfill Jim’s dreamof organizing the migrant workers. The end of the cotton season means the end of work, and word spreadsacross the land that there are no jobs to be had for three months. Rains set in and flood the land. FALLING ACTION -
Birth
Rose of Sharon gives birth to a child. Ma, desperate to get her family to safety from the flood, leads them to a deserted barn. FALLING ACTION -
The End
Theyfind a young boy kneeling over his dad, whois slowly starving to deathHe has not eaten for days beacuasehe gave all he had to his son. Realizing Rose of sharron is now producing milk, she sends the other kids outside so her daughter can nurse (with milk) the dying man. Then the story ends. RESOLUTION
