The Grapes of Wrath

Starting on page 392 the book skips back from what one person is doing to what another person is doing. The Joads are getting ready to move up north. They also talk about how they wish they could stay because they are going to miss the showers and toilets and the people. They get up early and get in the truck and go. They arrive someplace where there are hotdog stands and they go past Hooverville. Tom and Al get into a small fight over Al and the girl he likes. Ma is worried that they won’t get a house before winter and before it rains and I can understand why. Winfield isn’t very strong and the rain won’t help any of them. Then they run over a nail and they once again have to fix the tire. But maybe their luck has changed. A man stopped and told them there is work on the Hooper ranch picking peaches. Al wants to get a job in a garage and it is getting so annoying. Then they get stopped and asked if they want work. They then get a house that needs a lot of work but they are willing to do almost anything for a home to keep their family in.

Then they start picking the peaches and learn that they need to be handled gently. But for some reason something doesn’t seem right about this place that they are staying at. Then Ma goes to the store to get food and the store clerk is strange at first but then he was really nice and paid 10 cents for sugar for her. Then Tom and Al go looking around after supper. Tom leaves Al and goes off by himself. He finds Casy and Casy says they are on strike and that before they paid 2 ½ cents instead of 5 cents. I don’t understand how they can do that because how could people live off of that especially those who have a family.