Setting and Plot

In this book, the setting shadows the plot and suggests moods and foreshadows the plot.

The weather often serves to emphasize and magnify Pip's emotional states, unconscious sentiments, and gut feelings. In the book, they mention heat most of the time and that creates the emotions of aggression, anger, intense tension and many more hot emotions. When I looked up heat wave, it stated A heat storm is a Californian term for an extended heat wave. The first thing I think of is how the whole theme of the book is extended family and taking anyone under your wing to help.

A period of abnormally and uncomfortably hot and usually humid weather. This line for me makes me think of the whole family traveling uncomfortably in the humid weather to California and how it is a strange time for all the family members leaving their home state. In the summer in warm climates, an area of high pressure with little or no rain or clouds, the air and ground easily heats to excess. The heat is the tension with the family and the driving factor to move to California and the water represents new birth which they do not have in the heat wave in their home state. To survive, they need to find a new life in California but Steinbeck is also foreshadowing that when they arrive in California, it will be not what they expect. Even when I looked up heat wave, it stated that California is a very hot place where many heat storms and droughts occur. I believe that when they arrive in California is will be hot and intense within the family and out with others. I also believe someone else will die in the end. Heat waves and heat storms lead to wildfires that occur very often in droughts which is foreshadowing for the plot.

The grapes in California represent new birth and growth to all families. It also represents conscience is an ability or a faculty that distinguishes whether one's actions are right or wrong. This works very well if the plot and characters in the story. Most of the characters have done something they believe is morally wrong, such as the preacher who slept with young girls in the fields. He knew it was wrong with his conscience and therefore stopped preaching. I believe that California to all the characters represent new birth, growth and power. California is derived from the Black Amazons and ruled by a Queen Califia. She was said to be powerful, who accomplished great deeds, she was valiant and courageous and ardent with a brave heart, and had ambitions to execute nobler actions than had been performed by any other ruler – Queen Califia. This queen represents what the people who travel to California are like in the story; ambitious, brave heart, courageous and valiant.

The title I believe represents the wrath of hunger and thirst for something better, something worth living for. The wrath is humanity and the grapes are something humans crave and desire. The grapes wrap around themselves and grow while we destroy them with pollution, greediness, and anger.

I am looking forward to see what happens next!