Diana+Arevalo

Together As One An individual judges right from wrong based on personal and moral beliefs. Each person was raised differently therefore they base their judgments on events or issues they've experienced.The 1930's was a time of the Great Depression in American farm life. People were struggling to survive and support themselves. Now during the 2000's the same concept is happening and America is in an economic crisis. "Faced with similar global economic challenges in the past, the world was slow to act, and people paid an enormous price," said Mr. Obama. "That was true in the Great Depression [of the 1930s], when nations prolonged and worsened the crisis by turning inward, waiting for more than a decade to meet the challenge together."  Everyday an individual confronts injustice in some way or another. Just like America in order to overcome an injustice the individual must take action right away using their personal strengths or unite with a group and use everyone's personal strengths to overcome the injustice.

In chapter three of "//The Grapes of Wrath//", protection is the main theme. The turtle's shell and the family structure share the idea of protection. The turtle's shell is hard and has a strong foundation."For a moment he stopped, his head held high"(pg.21). The Joad family like any other family faced many struggles throughout their journey to California, but with whatever challenge occurred their heads were always up and they stayed strong. The truck represents industrialization and every change that comes with it. "His front wheel struck the edge of the shell, flipped the turtle like a tiddly-wink, spun it like a coin, and rolled it off the highway"(pg.22). Just like the turtle got hit with an object larger then he was so did the Joad family. They faced modernization and new technology. To overcome the injustice of not being able to face industrial change because there was not enough resources therefore the Joad family must unify toward a common cause and individually fulfill their part in society. When the turtle was hit by the truck the pain was evenly distribute on the shell. When the Joads were hit by the news that they were losing their land the same thing happened. The family must evenly distribute the hardships to overcome the obstacles.

The banks were taking people's homes away in chapter five because they couldn't pay their mortgage."All of them were caught in something larger than themselves"(pg.42). It's uncontrollable, the system is so corrupt and once you're in it's hard to gain anything from it when you're out."The bank is something more than men, I tell you. It's the monster. Men made it, but they can't control it"(pg.45). The banks are the injustice because men are to lazy to change or fix the infrastructure that they'd rather just deal with the consequences. Men let themselves get trapped in the corrupt system so it's their own fault because they don't take action earlier.""But where does it stop? who can we shoot? I don't aim to starve to death before I kill the man that's starving me." "I don't know. Maybe there's no one to shoot. Maybe the thing isn't men at all. Maybe, like you said, the property's doing it.""(pg.52). To overcome this obstacle the Joads believe that fighting will help them keep their home, but truly they must stick together, collaborate, and use the strengths of each individual.

Throughout all of chapter nine, no quotation marks are used when each person begins to talk, this shows the loss of individuality each character experienced. They were basically giving away all their belongings and the memories that occurred with each possession."Well,take it-all junk-and give me five dollars. You're not buying only junk, you're buying junked lives. And more-you'll see-you're buying bitterness"(pg.118). Their identity is lost and the connection to who they are is gone when they sell their belongings for a cheaper price. The world is industrializing and the Joad family along with other families are getting left behind. They lack resources to adapt along with their country. To overcome this unfairness they need to leave the past, come together, and look forward into the future."Maybe we can start again, in the new rich land-in California, where the fruit grows. We'll start over"(pg.119). To move forward the Joads must go through a cleansing process which leaves the past in the past and the future in their own hands to make the best of it.

In chapter twenty one the people from the west are beginning to become frustrated with the Okies. The Okies are doing anything to provide for their families. “They were migrants. And the hostility changed them, welded them, united them-hostility that made the little town group and arm as though to repel an invader…” (pg 385). The Okies were suffering a lot and on top of that they were looked down upon because of the competition for jobs, but the people in the west were ready to defend themselves however they could. To them, they were being “robbed” by the Okies who were taking their jobs. “Okies are thieves. They’ll steal anything. They’ve got no sense of property rights” (pg 386). The western people or “farmers” as Steinbeck names them were angry at the Okies for moving to California and working for low wages. The anger they felt was caused by fear and the farmers fear that they’ll lose themselves. “They had no argument, no system, nothing but their numbers and their needs” (pg 386). The Okies just wanted to be accepted. They were fighting to not be on the bottom of the social chain. They don’t have enough resources to survive so they’re fighting for nothing.

Chapter twenty five the main theme is together as one. “Behind the fruitfulness are men of understanding and knowledge and skill, men who experiment with seed, endlessly developing the techniques for greater crops of plants whose roots will resist the million enemies of the earth…” (pg 473). “Little sour apples have grown large and sweet, and that old grape that grew among the trees and fed the birds it’s tiny fruit has mothered a thousand varieties, red, and black, green, and pale pink, purple and yellow; and each variety with it’s own flavor”(pg 474). The grapes represent all of America and one bad grape affects the rest of the grapes. To make sure the grapes don’t rot they have to be in good soil and they have to be taken care of. The soil represents the infrastructure, ignoring it or not putting enough resources into the infrastructure damages our system. The injustice is that the nature of our society causes corruption in all of the people and theirs no way to escape it because we’re locked in. Due to the fact that everyone is connected to one another, everyone gets poisoned by the system. It is easier to take care of the mess after it’s been done. Through unity one can overcome any dilemma. “In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are failing and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage”(pg.477). vintage means taking the time to separate the bad grapes from the good grapes and turning them into whine. The same ideas applies to The Grapes of Wrath, society tries to separate the good people and the people who they believe are bad because society has certain standards that qualify you as a good person. In society’s eyes the Joads along with other migrating families were the poison of the bad grapes.

A lie, a false statement or action especially made with the intent to deceive or anything that gives or is meant to give false impressions. In “The Ways We Lie” by Stephanie Ericsson lies are the main theme. Everyone lies whether it’s big or small, it doesn’t matter a lie is a lie. There are different types of lies and they affect us everyday. “We lie. We all do. We exaggerate, we minimize, we avoid confrontation, we spare people’s feelings, we conveniently forget, we keep secrets, we justify lying to the big-guy institutions.” It is in our nature to lie about things constantly and sometimes it gets to the point when you don’t realize you’re doing it. We’re just humans and we’re not perfect. Each lie told has a negative effect. “I tried once going a whole week without telling a lie, and it was paralyzing. I discovered that telling the truth all the time is nearly impossible. It means living with the consequences.” It is unfair to those being lied to. Society has now become full of lies that it’s hard to distinguish the truth from a lie. In The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck the car salesmen also lie to people in order to benefit themselves. “Over there, them two-no, with the kids. Get’em in a car start’em at two hundrered and work down. They look good for one and a quarter. Get’em rolling. Get’em out in a jalopy. Sock it to ‘em. They took our time. Owners with rolled-up sleeves. Salemen, neat, deadly, small intent in their eyes watching for weaknesses” (pg 83). The car salesmen used a façade lie which seduces others into an illusion. The illusion that the Okies are drawn into is the condition of the cars they are purchasing. In reality the car is in the worst condition than ever before, but because the family desperately needs it they accept it. “Today’s bargain-up on the platform. Never sell it. Makes the folks come in though. If we sold that bargain at that price we’d hardly make a dime”(pg 85).

Works Cited The Grapes of Wrath John, Steinbeck,. Grapes of Wrath. New York, N.Y: Penguin, 1992.

Ascher, Barbara Lazear. "On Compassion." 29 Mar. 2009 < [|http://wserver.scc.losrios.edu/~lewisa/English%20300/Essays/On%20Compassion.htm]>.  Ericsson, Stephanie. "The Ways We Lie." 29 Mar. 2009 <[]>.

Pace, Sonja. "G-20 Agrees on Huge Stimulus, Tough Regulations to End Economic Crisis."