Grapes Of Wrath – Allusion Essay, Research Paper
Text:”He held the apple box against his chest. And then he leaned over and set the box in the stream and steadied it with his hand. He said fiercely, “Go down an’ tell ‘em. Go down in the street an’ rot an’ tell ‘em that way….Maybe they’ll know then.” He guided the box gently out into the current and let it go” (493).
“I figgered, ‘maybe it’s all men an’ all women we love; maybe that’s the Holy Sperit- the human sperit-the whole shebang. Maybe all men got one big soul ever’body’s a part of.’ Now I sat there thinkin’ it, an’ all of a suddent- I knew it. I knew it so deep down that it was true, and I still know it…” (25).
“If you could separate causes from results, if you could know that Paine, Marx, Jefferson, Lenin, were results, not causes, you might survive” (166).
Analysis/ CommentaryUncle John’s motivated action alludes to the tale of the baby Moses. To save her baby from slavery, Moses’ mother sets the infant adrift in a basket. Similarly, Uncle John feels he is ‘freeing’ the baby from the migrants’ miserable condition.
Jim Casy, an ex-preacher, constantly shares his thoughts and philosophies about life. Throughout the novel, he indirectly alludes to Jesus Christ. Casy believes that men are holy, and later he, just like Jesus, is killed for opposing human cruelty and suffering.
The author explains that the ideas of Paine, Marx, Jefferson and Lenin were not causes of the American Revolution. Rather, they were results of the harsh living conditions. Steinbeck warns the farmers that the only way to survive the sudden changes is to understand the difference between the causes and results of their hopeless situation.
Evidence/ Quotations from the Text”But then he says, ‘It ain’t so bad if you know.’ He says, ‘French Revolution-all them fellas that figgered her out got their heads chopped off. Always that way,’ he says” (424).
“Ma said, ‘This here’s my girl, Rosasharon” (346).
Analysis/ CommentaryCasy’s jail mate assuages his condition by comparing it to the days of the French Revolution. During the Revolution, a group of radicals (the Jacobins) attempted to crush all opposition within France. Suspected traitors (many of which were innocent) suffered harsh execution. The prisoner considers himself somewhat fortunate.
The name Rose of Sharon serves as a biblical allusion. The name is adopted from the Song of Solomon, in the Old Testament. “I am a rose of Sharon.” She is a lover of God.
In the novel, a lover of God is a lover of the people and thus a healer. The relevance is not apparent until the end, when Rosasharon heals the stranger.