Steinbeck discusses several themes in this chapter:
1. Wealth is an artificial value,
2. Life and death are juxtaposed,
3. The Promised Land may not be all "milk and honey," and
4. Religion that is false or emotional is irrelevant.
Choose one of these themes and, using examples from the text to support your ideas, show how this theme was true not only in the novel, but also today. Do not repeat anyone else's examples.
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"If he needs a million acrce to make him feel rich, seems to me he needs it 'cause he feels awful poor inside hisself,..." Some people attempt to fill the void in their life with money. Unfortunatly, wealth does not make you whole inside. Wealth is a number which pertains to your lifestyle but not the quality of your life.
4. Religion that is false or emotional is irrelevant.
Casy would "lay" with girls in the grass after he renewed their spiritual faith. It was irresponsible of him and he knew it, so he prayed about it. He continuously did it though. His faith was not so strong. It started to waiver with the first girl he layed with. His faith was then, irrelevant.
It's like the priests who molest altar boys. Should we take away something that gives comfort to someone else because its not justified?
And how can we justify that religion is or is not false? To do that we would first have to prove that God does/does not exist in every religion out in the world (which is a large number). Everybody's religion is different. It does not make it false, just different. Now when they start using it as an excuse for something or to get out of something, then it becomes wrong.
1. When the families were getting ready to leave the river encampment, the Wilson's said they were staying because Sairy was too sick to travel. Upon learning this the Joads tried to leave some money to help them, but Mr. Wilson refused. The said that then they would have nothing, and Wilson replied that they had nothing to begin with. This just goes to show that money is of artificial value. Today this is evident when you see a poor family just as happy or even happier than a rich family.
In Grapes of Wrath, "the promised land might not be all milk and honey" is a relevant theme. The Joads, naively optomistic, assume that plenty of jobs will be availible and Grandpa often talks about "stuffing grapes into his mouth" when he gets to California. Sometimes in life, we work so hard for things that in the end aren't necessarily as rewarding as we would like them to be. This is especially true in a high school academic environment, my motivation to achieve goals often centers around the amount of self fulfillment that will result. While this is sometimes the outcome, oftentimes, the self fulfillment is short lived.
In Grapes of Wrath, "the promised land might not be all milk and honey" is a relevant theme. The Joads, naively optomistic, assume that plenty of jobs will be availible and Grandpa often talks about "stuffing grapes into his mouth" when he gets to California. Sometimes in life, we work so hard for things that in the end aren't necessarily as rewarding as we would like them to be. This is especially true in a high school academic environment, my motivation to achieve goals often centers around the amount of self fulfillment that will result. While this is sometimes the outcome, oftentimes, the self fulfillment is short lived.
2. When they crossed into California the police wanted to examine their cargo, but when Ma showed them Grandma they decieded not to. THey thought she was just sick while in actuallity she was dead. Today one persons life of a few hard things is considered dead to those who do many, but to their selves they live a life full of little things.
4)"Religion that is false or emotional is irrelevant." The scene where the woman enters the tent of Grandma and Ma is a perfect example of this statement. Ma didn't want the woman to have the Jehovites come and pray for grandma because she felt that it wouldn't help anything. She was cautious because she knew that the Jehovites were loud. She didn't want prayer because she had lost hope in God. Her beliefs were false so they would have been irrelevant. Today many people have false religion. They believe in God but they don't follow in his footsteps. Most "believers" are hypocritical toward others. At church they are emotional but afterwards they go back to normal again.
When the family gets to California, they realize it is not at all what they thought it would be. They were led to believe from handbills and advertisements that they would be able to start a new, better life, and have good paying jobs, and eat all the fruit they want. Unfortunately, California is just another state without job opportunities and families are being crammed into Hoovervilles.
This theme is still relevant today because people are always looking for outlets and there are plenty of scams out there that make something seem like a good idea, but in reality they aren't.
4.)"Religion that is false or emotional is irrelevant."
Kendras example is perfect! This relates to all of the "good christians," or any other religion. So many times you see that perfect christian, who looks down on everyone. If they do not go to church, or do not believe what you do. Also, there are those who say they are religious, yet do terrible acts of sin. People should believe in what they feel, and just keep faith, hope and spirit, whether it is towards God, or just to keep one going.
3) When I was little, I used to be somewhat of an idealist even a bit of a romantic you might say. I had an astounding imagination. My mind would form these awe-inspiring scenes of brilliant imagery and excitment. The problem with this, however, is the more you hyperbolize an event or an item or a person the more disappointed you become when faced with the truth. After enough disappointmetn your mind becomes very callused, and you begin to realize there is no gold at the end of the rainbow, in fact there is no end to the rain bow at all. You stop expecting much from people and the world around you. It's a sad truth but one most will come to at some point in their life. I did, and the Joad's did, too.
3. The theme "The Promised Land may not be all 'milk and honey'" is outstandingly germane throughout The Grapes of Wrath. Californian farmers and businessmen attempted to convince Midwestern's that California had all of the aspects they prayed and hoped for. However, when people from across the nation began to travel west, most were let down. Along their expedition, the Joad's faced several instance where people informed them that California was everything but what they hoped for. Unfortunately, the Promised Land can also be deceiving. For instance, when the Joad's first view California in the daylight, it is almost as if all of their second thoughts were washed away by the beauty of the land. Pa is practically in shock when he first views their Promised Land, he responds in awe by commenting, "I never knowned they was anything like her." However, the Joad's first few weeks in California prove to be a devastating wake-up call as they face hardships.
In modern society, the metaphor of situations not working out as planned is still applicable. For example, it seems in America, people always want the biggest and the best. This can also be related to people wanting the most money which will help them acquire the "biggest and the best". However, when people win large sums of money by lottery or game show, it tends to lead to more heartache and hardship that they ever imagined. It has been proven that many people who win these types of competitions have lost the money they won and more within a few years. The reason for this can be attributed to many things, but the metaphor still remains proving that when something that is continually dreamed of it achieved, it turns out to be nothing more than a letdown in the end.
3.
The most prominent theme in this passage is that the Promised Land may not be all “milk and honey”. The Joad family leaves their life-long homeland in search of this idealistic paradise, expected to be welcomed and needed in the community. Upon arrival the Joad family realizes this was not true. They reach the desert of California and are called “Okies”, which was not to be taken as a compliment. They are not trusted or respected. Ma’s dreams of unifying the family in California are shattered when yet another member of the family is lost when Noah decides to leave. The family expected to get to California or the “Promised Land” and for their situation to drastically improve, but their arrival was extremely anticlimactic. This shows that what people perceive to be true, may not be. The Promised Land was not all milk and honey for the Joad family.
This theme is evident today. For a more modern day example this reminds me of the cheesy television commercials that endorse a kitchen utensil or workout weight set. The ads claim that results will be astonishing or the quality is top notch, yet when the actual product arrives it is ultimately junk. These ads compare to the flyers the Joad’s were tricked into believing. They thought that California would be a paradise full of work, and consumers today believe that that new hair dryer on an infomercial could dry your hair in less than a minute. These examples show the susceptibleness of the migrant families and the American consumer.
It seems that many of the California locals bought as much land as they could to make a profit. They tried to fill their lives with buying the land, but never working it. They were only interested in filling their lives with money. Today unfortunately, this continues. It seems that every time you turn on the television, there are shows like “The Fabulous Life” or “Sweet Sixteen” which make it seem like the only way to make yourself happy is to make yourself rich.
3. The Joads were in for a suprise, upon their arrival in California. Their dreams of picking the bright, sunny oranges and grapes from the trees quickly evaporated. The work, living conditions, and atmosphere in California were far from "milk and honey." Many times in life, especially when we're young, we tend to build things up in our minds, to the point where our desires could not possibly be satisfied. "If only I could find the perfect boyfriend, have that awesome new car, hang out with that certain group of people..." We soon find out that some of these great, dreamed of things in life are not what they appear to be on the outside.
The Joads were placing California up on a pedestal. I think it's very apparent through the foreshadowing of the people they meet on the road who warn them that California is not as great as it seems, that they will be let down. Today, life is full of disappointment. The best parallel I can draw from today's society is Disney World. When you're a little kid, nothing seems cooler than meeting Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, and the Seven Dwarves. But when you get there, all you see are lines, dirty, and people in animal costumes.
3. The Promised Land may not be all "milk and honey"
The Joads continue on to California even after hearing rumors that it is not what it is mad out to be. They arrive in California to find it desolate and much like the land they left and were trying to get away from. This is relevant today not just in moving from place to place but in anything that is "hyped". Any product you buy comes with rumors and guarantees about its success but not all work out like they are supposed to. That is a way of life and will continue to be so. But this is not necessarily a bad thing, one must take chances in life and pursue things that are not certain in order to reap rewards.
Wealth is an artificial value. There are so many other things in life that are more important than money. Money does help, but in the when all is said and done, you end up losing your money to something or other. Simpler things in life are more concrete.
3. When the Joads set out for California, they continuously spoke about their orange trees next to their quaint white house and their perfect life in the land of "milk and honey". However, while they are in the process of reaching California, they are discovering something that is more apparent with every single second: it is not going to be perfect. It is not going to be easy. Most importantly, it is not going to be what they expected. Today, most immigrants face similar experiences. America sounds wonderful: the opportunity to be free, with free speech and the choice to be whatever you aspire to be. However, we find most of these immigrants flipping burgers in an unsuccessful, unrewarding, and almost meaningless job. Unfortunately, this atrocious cycle continues to spin out of control.
4) Steinbeck uses the meeting of Muley to represent the idea of religion as a flimsy cover we hide behind, making it an irrelevant part of our well-being. Whenever Muley and Casey are talking about religion, Steinbeck forces Muley to play the part of the emotional man who could not trust in God during this difficult time, and refused to believe and preach His (God's) word any longer.
Today, religion is becoming a means of war. Instead of trying to fuel hope and forgivenss, a person's choice of religion seems to be a cause of hatred and war. Christian vs. Jews, Shiite vs. Sunni, Wiccan vs. Catholic - the list continues endlessly. All of this hatred simply proves religion to be a "false" image conveyed to those around us. To me, and it seems to Steinbeck as well, religion can only be considered useful to the world if one can truly believe in freedom of religion.
Isn't it unfortunate that the views of some must cause the views of others feel jeapordized enough to spark WAR?!
2. Grandma died in this chapter, which would be the element of death. Ma decided that it was more important for the family to across and survive than to stop and get help for grandma. This is putting life and death right next to each other in that to reach life on the other side they must endure Grandma's death. This may go back to a previous topic including the death of all that was their past life, and grandma, being as old as she was, was a part of the past which must die in order to reach the future.
3. California was supposed to be the promised land for the Joads. They were supposed to pack up and move to California and begin a new and better life there. Obviously, this wasn't exactly the case. There was no "promised land" out west. California definitely was not all milk and honey. In today's world, many people from foreign countries come to America in search of a better life. They view the United States as the "promised land." As they arrive in the U.S. and discover things like racism, they realize this promised land is not all milk and honey.
The woman in the black dress that visits the family illustrates the emptiness that false religion provides. Ma says she cannot handle a meeting right now which is an expression of her desire for true hope and motivation. Today, true religion is necessary more and more as people turn away from their childhood religions and try to answer their questions. The modern philosophies and the decreasing focus on being born into a religion supports this.
The juxtaposition of life and death such as when grandma is "sick" when in all actuallity she is really dead. While that is going on, Connie and Rose of Sharon are mating under the covers right next to her.
The statement "the promised land might not be all milk and honey" is held true in Grapes of Wrath. Not only the Joad Family, but all the families traveling down Route 66 were heading to California with hopes of a new job, nice housing, and replenishing fruit. Unfortunately once they got there they were hit with nothing more then what they had. Today this quote is still relevant because our hopes can be held high for something better, and then all at once everything good is snatched out from underneath you.
The Joad family has been warned twice about California not being the Promised Land of “milk and honey.” In chapter sixteen, a ragged man laughs at Tom and Pa because they tell the man about their plans of going to California and maybe owning some land. The man tells them of how men who need workers will go out and try to get as many workers as they can, and when many workers show up, the workers get paid a small amount. Another example would be when the man in the river explains to Tom and Pa of how all the land is owned and how you cannot plant anything or you could get arrested. The man tells them about the meaning of the word okie and how many workers have to scrabble for food everyday, with people looking mean at you. Tom and Pa are still in pursuit of their dreams so they do not realize what they could be headed for.
Many people come to the U.S. in order to obtain better jobs and better lives. They also view America as the Promised Land of “milk and honey.” Unfortunately, when they get here, they face many hardships and discrimination. It is difficult to move and leave everything you have to start a new life, and then find out that you are worse than when you started. It is like what the man in the river said, “But at least we can starve to death with folks we know.”
The Promised Land may not be all "milk and honey"
The Joad family was so excited about going to California because of the fruit and cotton to pick,the white houses, and the green grass. But once they got there it was not what they expected. It was a trick to get as many workers as they could their so they could pay the workers less then usual due to the lack of jobs and lack of food.
I think today its the same thing because if you get a bunch of people applying for one job then if you require say 6 dollars and hour and another only requires 5 dollars an hour, depending on the job, the 5 dollar a hour person is most likely to be hired.
Life and death are juxtaposed. An example from the novel is when Rose of Sharon and Connie are making love while Granma lies beside them dead. In today's society if one were to walk into a hospital and look in one room a man or woman is dead of dying from some horrible illness. If one were to look into another room at the same time the man or woman is dead or dying, a mother is giving birth to her first child.
3) The truth that the Promised Land may not be as perfect as it was otherwise made out to be is a truth that must be realized by everyone at some point in their lives. It is finally realized by the Joads when the men got out in search of work and, to their disbelief, are unable to find any. This event was the final thing that was needed to make them realize that California was not the land they had hoped it was.
Today this truth has to be faced by immigrants that are moving to America with hopes of pulling themselves out of the poverty that they were subject to in their homeland. Yet they must realize that doing so is not as easy as it seems in America and that there are other issues they must face when living here, such as the discrimination towards the poor immigrants of today's society.
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