Summaries

Chapters 14-18

In these chapters, Steinbeck shows that the West does not understand what happened to Oklahoma and the Midwest and the citizens of western families became frightened. A waitress named Mae came off as rude, all she cared about her were money and tips, but then she soon realized that if she does something nice for someone, something nice will happen to her back. Soon after, the Joad family met a man who informed them that California doesn't provide jobs due to his trip there and how it caused the starvation and death of his wife and children. The family decides to continue their journey once they entered California because of the warning signs of danger. They were forced to move by the policemen again and Ma informed the family that Granma didn't get the medical attention she needed and past away shortly.

Chapters 19-24
In these chapters, it starts off when Steinbeck states that California was once one of Mexico's belongings until hungry American squatters took it away just because they farmed the land. It was hard for the Okies to find work because it was either paid at a low wage or many states did not want them anymore due to over flooding people. Granma's body was left in a coroner's office because Ma and Pa didn't have enough money for proper burial and then they joined the family at Hooverville. Tom's character began to change by looking toward the future and its possibilities because he become devoted to his family instead of just focusing on present possibilities only.

Chapters 25-30
In these chapters, Steinbeck indicates that small local farmers are under the rules of large landowners because of their debt rise. Supplies began to become scarce and the family has to once again move. Casy was killed because he gave information to Tom Joad and was caught by the police. They thought he was being a communist and was then killed by one of them. Work began to appear working in cotton fields, but the only problem is that workers had to pay for their own sacks. Soon after,weather conditions began to ruin the crops and no work could have been done. This had the workers' fear turned into anger. It's been six days and the rain continued.