In this chapter, Pa must try to sell as many things as possible in order to get money for the trip to California. They are also faced with what to keep and what to leave behind. Answer both of the following quetions:
1. Choose one item from Chapter 9 and tell why you agree that it was vital to take this item to California.
2. If you were in the position of the Joad's what ONE item would you hate to have to leave behind and why.
Be sure to read everyone else's answers!
29 comments:
The keeping of the pots and pan was very vital to horde. With out those materials the family could not prepare meals very well to feed themmselves. The worst item I would hate to leave behind would be the bays. Being very fond of animals,I love every animal that has rested at my house for any period of time. Living out in the country it is almost all I ever saw. Some of the best companions can be animals, to leave a pet behind would be the thoughest decision.
I would probably have to say that the rifel would be most important. Sure, pots and pans would be good to prepare the food in, but if there isn't any food to cook, then what good are pans or anything else in that matter. I think, if living back in this time period, the hardest thing to let go of would be all of the farming equiptment that had to be sold or left behind. Just because of the fact that it was the way of life and what you did in life and on top of that, no one wanted it. You couldn't get a good price for it because everything was being done by tractors. It'd be fairly depressing.
I agree with the family in taking the rifle. A rifle was vital for farmers because it would serve in many ways. It would serve as a hunting weapon because the family might have to hunt for food. It would protect them against wild animals like snakes or coyotes. It would also serve as a threat to people in case they were trying to be robbed of their belongings. We do not need a rifle as much as in today’s world as much as the farmers would have. The one thing I would hate to leave behind would the letter my brother had written the day before he died. The letter would be important to me because if would be something to remember my brother by.
taking the item most important to each of them was very important. mary taking the doll, and the boy taking his bow are important because the children will need comfort on the long, hard journey.
leaving behid the fields will be the hardest thing. The family legacy is in the fields where fathers and their fathers began the family and to leave that blessed area for your family would be discomforting
I agree with previous comments, that the rifle would have been important as a mechanism of acquiring food. Another basic, but nonetheless important item would be water. This seems like an obvious choice, but the Joads would have been faulty in assuming that water was readily availible. On the hierarchy of needs, food and water come before other possessions and furthermore, humans can survive longer without food than they can without water. Also, the conditions of a drought only intensify the need for water. The two items I would have a difficult time leaving behind would be the letter from my brother as well as the book, Pilgrims Progress. Both of these items are sentimental, but also are the only tangible possesions left of several family members. As the Joads leave the farm, they thus effectively leave behind the concrete momentos of their loved ones. Their memories now become solely based on their imaginations.
I agree with previous comments, that the rifle would have been important as a mechanism of acquiring food. Another basic, but nonetheless important item would be water. This seems like an obvious choice, but the Joads would have been faulty in assuming that water was readily availible. On the hierarchy of needs, food and water come before other possessions and furthermore, humans can survive longer without food than they can without water. Also, the conditions of a drought only intensify the need for water. The two items I would have a difficult time leaving behind would be the letter from my brother as well as the book, Pilgrims Progress. Both of these items are sentimental, but also are the only tangible possesions left of several family members. As the Joads leave the farm, they thus effectively leave behind the concrete momentos of their loved ones. Their memories now become solely based on their imaginations.
I agree with the Joad family on the subject of clothing. What do you have if you don't have the shirt on your back? Besides the physical protection clothing offers it offers a peace of mind that you still own something of value and it gives you a sense of protection against the flying dust of the time.
The Joad family is not in the same situation but to have to leave a family member behind like Muley's family did would be more difficult than any sentimental treasure. I could not imagine leaving your home and life behind but to have to leave a family member who you have grown up with would be devastating.
A set of items vital to that long of a trip would be the tools; wrenches, pliers and the like. Without these important tools the family might be unable to repair their vehicle, which means they would have to get a mechanic to work on it. This meant that they would probably get scammed out of extra money, again.
The hardest thing to leave behind would be a natural landmark on the farm. The chapter talked about a willow tree. This would be like leaving behind all normalcy.
The rifle was the item most essential for the Joad family to take with them. It could provide food and security when they had little else.
If I was in the position of the Joad's, the one thing I would hate to leave would be the land. The land and the scenery had been viewed by everyone in the family for years upon years, and would stay in their memories for years and years. It is because of the close relationship with the land that results from years of living upon it that would have made leaving it so difficult. Leaving the land you have lived on is like leaving a part of your soul.
I thought the same thing as Sarah, Water! During the dust bowl, not only was it difficult to find water, it was even tougher to find clean water. Even restaurants had to purify water before giving it out, and many places charged more for the water than they did for coffee or soda. I would hate leaving behind my lifestyle. I'm sure they have tons of memories there, and leaving it for a completely new lifestyle in California would be extremely hard for anyone, especially with people as attached to the land as most farmers are. Even if they do decide to continue farming in California, everything about it will be different.
I agree with the other responses, saying that the rifle would be highly essential. If you had a rifle, you would be able to hunt for food and protect yourself from thieves. The hardest thing to leave behind would be the letters. A letter my brother wrote the day before he died would be impossible to part with. It would be a part of the person that you would be able to carry with you forever, and to lose that letter would be losing history.
Just to clarify: are we talking about important to the family as in to satisfy their physical needs or as in to satisfy their emotional needs?
Well, I'll just do one for both. To survive physically, it is pretty essential for the family to keep its pots and pans for properly cooking their food.
Emotionally, each person has to bring along their own item to equalize their own feelings. Emotional items are just as important as items needed to physically survive. They help to allow a person to remain sane and whole in the wake of destruction. For some, a doll will suffice, for others, a bow and arrow set.
I know that this will sound corny (sue me) but I would have to take my diary with me. Or something to write with. Otherwise, I would probably be an extremely unpleasant person to ride with and would not be very content.
I believe a few pots and pans would be the most important. Without something to cook in most food would be useless. One might say the pans are useless without water but if you think about it water wasn't that scarce, and if it was a little dirty boiling it in your handy pot would make everything all better.
I would hate to leave behind bed because I love having something comfy to sleep in.
It was a very wise move on Ma's part to suggest that they take along the big cooking pot. She said that small things can be prepared in the big pot, but big things can't be prepared in a small pot. Obviously, the cooking pot is necessary for cooking food, boiling water, and could also be used to wash clothes and other utensils.
The one thing I would have to take with me if I were in the Joads' position would be my photo album of my family and friends. If you are forced to part with people you are close to, having pictures to remind you of them and the experiences you shared would be somewhat more comforting than having nothing at all.
One of the most vital possessions to take to California would be the kerosine can. As stated in chapter nine it was used as a stove. This is essential for cooking the family's meals. Although i agree with the previous comments about the rifel being an important object to take for the use of obtaining food, without a way of cooking the food the rifel it then useless.
There is not one certain object that would be difficult to leave behind, but all the belongings that belonged to my father or greatgrandfather would be extremely hard to let go of. In the opening paragraph of chapter nine it says, "...the tenant people sifted their belongings and the belongings of their fathers and grandfathers." Posessions that have passed down generation to generation have more value than others, for you could always buy new clothes or dishes, but family air looms are priceless.
Agreeing with Jessica, I believe the kerosine can would be imperative to the Joad's journey to California. This was their stove. Although not all foods would need to be heated, the comfort of having a warm meal, even if the meal was small, would be enough to make the can vital.
If I were in the position of the Joad family, I would hate to leave behind friends and neighbors. These people you came accustom to seeing frequently become a form of comfort in a way. Friends and family were all many people had during the Dust Bowl and slowing even these comforts faded away.
Because one would have to obtain food on the fly, a rifle would be a top contender for the most important thing to bring. The families of the time would be restricted in time because of travel, so they would not have time to stop and gather food, nor would they have time to set up traps to trap food. Money would be scarce as well, so buying all the food would be nearly impossible. Water would also be vital in bringing, for there are not so many options to obtain water.
Leaving behind all the luxuries would be the hardest. A warm bed would be hard to leave behind, like Travis said, because sleeping on the ground or in a cramped car would get really old really fast.
The clothing would be the most vital in my book. Any clothing not being worn can be used to sleep on, stay warm, clean with, along with many other uses.
My animals are the biggest item I would hate to leave behind, I could not imagine leaving them alone. Along with them, photos. I hold my family photos close and they mean alot to me.
It's hard to choose just one item that would be vital for the long journey but if I could only choose one it would be the rifle. When you don't have the money to buy food for your family you can still go out and hunt. With the rifle it also provides protection from others who might want to cause harm and steal items from them.
The item that I would hate to leave behind would be the house. The family grew up in that house. No matter what, you can never replace that house. Memories were made there together as a family.
I agree that the rifle was the most important item to take on the trip. It could be used for protection, hunting, and even discipline (children can get out of hand on long road trips).
If i were a member of the Joad family i would've hated to leave behind all of my friends. Moving to California and never again seeing any of the people you grew up with would be very difficult.
I most certainly agree with previous comments being made. Water, a rifel, clothes, pots and pans are very hard to get along without. Journey's comment made sense as well, each person's personal and emotional needs differ from the next.
I agree with Molly and Journey both. Molly said it would be hard to leave the letter from my brother behind, especially if i was close to him. And I most certainly would NOT want to leave my diary behind! Like Journey, i as well would become unpleasant.
I think that I would have the to chose the kerosene it allows them to cook food and light the lanterns.
The one thing I would hate to leave behide would be the horses because the of the memories of the girl braiding the the mane and forehair that went with them
It is common sense of course to support the logic behind bringing the rifle and also the logic behind water, clothing, and pots and pans. However, even more important than that is emotional survival. The text highlights on this point in chapter nine when it says, "How can we live without our lives?" Journey makes this point earlier. The specifics in the chapter that I think are necessary belongings are the pictures that the women are looking at. Without a rifle, traps can always be made to catch food. It's likely that the travelors would be able to find enough water to avoid dying of thirst and even sparse clothing and one pot could be sufficient. Emotional stability is the core of all of these other things though. When one gives up emotionally, they will not be able to make the journey no matter how many supplies they have.
My response to question one ties into my answer to question two. I have a blanket that my nanny crocheted me and I have so many memories with it. This would also be practical to take so it would accomplish the emotional and physical goals.
Alright lets suggest hypothetically that the item of items my colleagues have named as the most "vital" -apparently the new word of the week- was the only item the family took. If the future NRA members and tubberware aficionadoes truely believe their item is truely the best, then there should be no reason to tremble over such a challenge. I suggest that when you get down to the bare bones of the issue these luxeries fall short of first place on the "vital" chart emmensly. Instead of taking thing to get and cook food, would it be better to simply take the food and water with you in the begining. It would be foolish to risk the possible of scarce game and a lack of natural springs.
Ofcourse I think we can all agree leaving the dogs would be the worst. The puppy-dog-look is some pretty heavy stuff.
I contend that bringing along the rifle is imperative for the survival of the Joad family. Transporting large quantities of purified water would be excruciatingly difficult and the book did not mention what they planned on carrying the proposed mass amount of water in. Furthurmore, refuting Sarah's post, it was also be complicated to conserve adequate amounts of food--meatwise, that is--across the steamy terrain in which the Joad family is about to embark upon. The rifle is essential for the continued existence of the Joads.
I also concur that it would be immensely painful to leave behind the fields and farming equipment. The fields symbolize a family legacy, and when they are thriving, the family is as well. Comparatively, when they are deteriorating, the family is as well.
I think that the rifle would be the most essential thing to the Joad family as they crossed the country towards California. It would provide them with safety and food like Gavin said.
I would hate to leave the farm behind. It had been the source of all of the essential the past several years, and would be difficult to leave on the turn of a dime.
I think i would have to say that keeping the rifel was very important. Without that it could become hard to find food to eat, and you may have been less protected in emergency like cases. As others previously stated what good are pots and pans if there is no source of food to cook in them. Especially with a shortage of money it would have been a lot easier to just kill your food rather then buy it.
I would have had a hard time leaving my house behind. That is the house my family grew up in. So many memories were formed there, and to most likely never see that part of my life again would be devistating. I would be afraid that my memories might not be enough. That maybe one day i wouldnt remember the sensational feelings i got from being in my welcoming home.
I think that bringing the meat and potatoes was very necessary because they didn't know what kinds of animals they could catch or buy so that was a nessecity. Bringing the mattresses was kind of a luxury because not many people brought that along and they could have used that room for more food or supplies. If i had to move i would hate to leave behind all my family pictures and heirlooms. We you recieve those things from the family they become very precious to you and you become atached to them so that would be the hardest thing for me.
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