who dies the dog, the grandpa, the grandpa, the priest, and the baby the list can go on. One thing
that really was in the back of my head was that Tom Joad the main character is a former fugitive.
I think he really learned his lesson in prison and is headed on the right track because of all the
good decisions he made throughout the book. Tom was definitely my favorite character and the
one who I connected with.
There is definitely one part that I would like to dig deeper into and that would be the last
page, where Rose of Sharon breast feeds the dying man and then she looked up and smiled
mysteriously. I don't know if it's just me but I can picture that scene at the end of a scary movie,
a distraught woman who lost her baby who then saves a man by feeding him but when she looks
up and smiles like that it just kind of creeped me out. That ending left me with a few questions
like, did the man get nursed back to health, did Rose of Sharon go insane or have a weird
moment where she liked it? I'm not sure but it's a little too weird for me.
My overall view of the book was that it was pretty slow which was expected, but it wasnt
bad. It was kind of difficult to get through just because it took so long. I would definitely
recommend this book to someone who is capable of reading it. I also liked how Steinbeck
narrated the novel kind of cycling and getting different narrators every once in a while it
definitely kept me awake and alert not just listening to the same person tell a story for 619
pages. Overall I give this book a thumbs up.
i honestly dont know why my post showed up like that
ReplyDeletehahaha it is kinda weird it showed up like that. But any ways i do agree with what you said. I am on the same page as you about everything. I dont really have a lot to say but about the breast feeding thing, i do agree it was extremely weird how she looked up and smiled.
ReplyDeleteMorgan :)
I also kept reminding myself that Tom is a former criminal. I wanted Tom to be the good guy but he killed two men and did unjust things. Although some of those things were intended for good, it still made me unsure about how Tom would react to other situations. For the "scary movie" comparison, I honestly don't know, I'm not a big scary movie person but I think that could have been a way Steinbeck wanted to end the sad book with something different.
ReplyDeleteInstead of getting creeped out, think about what the purpose of breastfeeding a child is. It offers nourishment, comfort, and connection between the child and mother; it is a very intimate action. Now, consider what happened to Rose of Sharon. If she couldn't comfort her own child and feel comfort herself, she was willing to sacrifice in order to save someone else. Also, after a woman gives birth, her emotions go on one heck of a rollercoaster ride. After a woman gives birth to a stillborn, the emotions are even worse. The one thing she could do was save a life when she could not keep one alive. Imagine the guilt she might have felt. I don't know exactly the reason for the mysterious smile, but I can empathize with Rose of Sharon for what she was doing and maybe why she did it.
ReplyDeleteI hope this helps a little bit.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of what you said about the "Grapes of Wrath." Although, I am with Ms. Jesik on when Rose of Sharon is feeding the dying man. When she lost her child, she gave her love to someone else who really needed it. I think the book explains how far people would go to help other people in time of need. Other then that, well said Michael:)
-Always,
Brandd. :)
I must agree with Brandis and Ms. Jesik. I think it was her way of giving back. She lost her baby but was able to save someone else. This book deals a lot with how people need to help one another in times of need. I really like your post, and for the most part, I think you are right.
ReplyDelete-kristen :)