<p>Hey, could someone please critque the intro and first body para of my GOW Research Paper.
My assigned topic is “The most admirable aspect of TGOW is…”
THE most stupid topic ever…but whatever. </p>
<p>The Grapes of Wrath: A Universal Novel</p>
<p>During the 1930s, thousands of Americans migrated from Oklahoma to California to escape the drought, debt, and desolation of the Dust Bowl. Though The Grapes of Wrath (GW) is a story about the Joad family, it is also evocative of the socioeconomic hardships of the Great Depression and the experiences of migrant workers. The most admirable aspect of Steinbeck’s novel is its universality: the Joads’ experience is representational of the collective difficulties faced by migrant workers during this time period. </p>
<pre><code>The shifting point of view throughout The Grapes of Wrath emphasizes the inhumane treatment of migrants. The Joads are first cautioned of the mistreatment they are poised to face when they meet a fellow Oklahoman who is returning from California having been incapable of make a decent living. The man informs the Joads of the meaning of the nickname Okie: "Okie use’ta mean you was from Oklahoma. Now it means you’re a dirty son-of a-*****,? he bitterly explains, “Okie means you’re scum” (GW 206). The knowledge of the negative connotation of this moniker enlightens the Joads to discrimination they will face upon arrival in California. Literary critic Mimi Reisel notes that the prejudice against Oklahomans is further underscored by Steinbeck when he explores the Californian point of view and “has his service station boy say, ‘Them goddamn Okies got no sense and no feeling. They ain’t human. A human wouldn’t live like they do. A human being couldn’t stand it to be so dirty and miserable. They ain’t a hell of a lot better than gorillas.’” (130). The universal irony of this negative stereotyping is that migrants were treated poorly and were subsequently ridiculed for their paltry living situations (Reisel 130). The irony of negative stereotyping is reiterated when, in Chapter 19 of The Grapes of Wrath, an anonymous Californian declares of Okies: “‘Sure they talk the same language, but they ain’t the same. Look how they live. Think any of us folks’d live like that? Hell no!’” (236). This remark intensifies Steinbeck’s portrayal of “the mood of Californians during this period and their hostile attitude toward drought refugees,” and “leaves little doubt that the Oklahomans are perceived as aliens, not countrymen.” (Reisel 126). Next, the author shifts his attention to the Oklahoman reaction to this prejudice: “Ma’s advance stopped. She looked puzzled. ‘Okies??’ she said softly. ‘Okies.’/ She hesitated a long time–This here policeman–he called us–‘Okies.’ He says, ‘We don’ want you goddamn Okies settlin’ down.‘’” (GW 214-215). Though the “policeman” is a single character, his views are representative of the majority of the Californian population. This suggests that Ma Joad’s puzzlement and hesitation is also representative of the shock felt by the thousands of migrants exposed to such discrimination. Steinbeck’s utilization of point of view to demonstrate the intolerance experienced by the Joads buttresses the universality of stereotypes in society.
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<p>Edit: I love how they censored the “b.i.t.c.h.” in one of the quotes, haha.</p>