1. The Grapes of Wrath Things to consider and take note of as you read

2. Biblical Imagery  Title of book- Steinbeck took this from “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” from the Book of Revelations (14:19)  3 sections – drought, journey, California; corresponds to the Israelites oppression in Egypt, the Exodus, the stay in Canaan.

3. Biblical Imagery  Rose of Sharon’s name (Solomon 2:1)  God gave the Israelites commandments during their desert exodus – this connects to the events in the government camp (following rules)  Steinbeck’s major theme is humankind’s search for the Promised Land, a Garden of Eden, “flowing with milk and honey.”

4. Mythic Journey Westward  Tom Joad (the hero) achieves a mystical quality by the end of the novel  Tom and Casy overcome great obstacles, encounter prophecies of impending doom, and fight injustice to make society better.  The characters sometimes seem to have “superhuman” characteristics.

5. Transcendentalism and Pragmatism  Transcendentalism – Steinbeck took the idea of the “Oversoul” from Emerson and the concept of democracy from Whitman.  This novel is a blend of the philosophy of Emerson and the pragmatism of John Dewey and William James (grandpa’s full name is William James Joad)  Pragmatism - a philosophical movement that includes those who claim that an ideology is true if it works satisfactorily (John Dewey & William James were proponents of this idea).

6. Realism and Naturalism  Naturalist View (of humans) – is that of animals in the natural world, responding to the environmental forces and internal stresses and drives, over none of which they have control and none of which they fully understand.  The characters in this story are faced with circumstances over which they have no control, but they make humane choice when they overcome obstacles and move forward

7. Marxism  2 reasons why critics rejected the novel: –For its offensive language (libraries banned it) –On political grounds (Communist propaganda) *Steinbeck never saw Communism as the answer to the Joads’ predicament (their only hope was to work together with one another)

8. Take Notes as You Read:  Take notes on the 5 concepts discussed today (as you read).  Pay attention to the intercalary chapters (in-between chapters) for Steinbeck’s view of human nature/humanity.

9. “The Harvest Gypsies”  Steinbeck was commissioned by The San Francisco News to write a series of articles on the migrant workers of the Salinas Valley  Published from October 5 through October 12 1936  The Grapes of Wrath was published in 1939- the influences from this experience are clear

10. IN YOUR ASSIGNED GROUP:  READ YOUR ASSIGNED ARTICLE (SILENTLY OR TOGETHER) – 10-15 MINUTES  RECORD – MAIN PARTS/IMPORTANT POINTS FROM YOUR SECTION (WORK WITH YOUR GROUP TO COMPILE THESE POINTS)  PREPARE TO SHARE THE MAIN POINTS OF YOUR SECTION WITH THE CLASS  EVERYONE WILL NEED TO TAKE NOTES ON ALL SECTIONS

11. REMINDERS:  Vocab book tomorrow!  Presentations tomorrow…  Extra reading time?!

12. Objective:  Develop background knowledge on the Dust Bowl and migrant workers by participating in a group jigsaw activity in order to prepare to read The Grapes of Wrath

13. DRILL #5 : 3.26.14  Jot down 3 things you learned about Steinbeck yesterday that you found significant or interesting.