Finally!

The Grapes of Wrath Final, 2015

You will write an essay that addresses one of the first five questions in class on Thursday and an essay that addresses one of the last five questions in class on Friday. I will choose the prompts, so you’ll need to be prepared to answer them all. You will be allowed to use your books on the exam.

1.     What is Steinbeck’s attitude towards nature in The Grapes of Wrath? Consider both the imagery of insects and the role of water (among other images of nature) as you craft your answer.

2.     Be prepared to write a rhetorical analysis of any of the interchapters of The Grapes of Wrath.

3.     How would Steinbeck define justice? Point to three examples of justice or injustice to support your answer. Does his definition agree with or contradict with yours?

4.     Compare the treatment of the migrant “Okies” in the novel to the treatment of modern migrants. What can modern readers learn from the similarities and the differences of these situations?

5.     Which era of American Literature most closely captures John Steinbeck’s writing style: The Age of Faith, The Age of Reason, Romanticism, Gothic Literature, Transcendentalism, Realism, or Naturalism?

6.     What is Steinbeck’s attitude towards women in The Grapes of Wrath? How do the actions of women (and the reactions of men to women) connect to a larger purpose in the novel?

7.     What is Steinbeck’s attitude towards religion in The Grapes of Wrath? Consider the role of both religious characters and religious allusions as you craft your answer.

8.     Defend, challenge, or qualify the claim that The Grapes of Wrath is a patriotic novel.

9.     Defend, challenge, or qualify the claim that Rose of Sharon was stripped of her identity in The Grapes of Wrath.

10.  Defend, challenge, or qualify the claim that California is an idea rather than a place.