THE GRAPES OF WRATH

By the end of this unit, students will be able to: trace the development of the character of Ma Joad; analyze the character of Jim Casy as a messianic, Christ-like figure; explore the theme of endurance as it applies to the characters of Ma Joad, Tom Joad, and Rose of Sharon; discuss the novel as a critical commentary on the plight of the farmers impacted by the Great Depression and the American Dust Bowl; discuss the novel as a critical commentary on the need to implement elements of socialism into American government and the benefits of actively supporting the formation of labor unions to improve the lives of America’s workers; examine the language of The Grapes of Wrath and analyze the impact the different narrative styles have on the reader; trace the depiction of changing family structures in the novel and analyze how the novel complicates traditional notions of gender; analyze the relationship between the novel’s narrative chapters and its alternating inter-chapters; and explain different perspectives on religion presented by the novel. 101 pages. ©2007.