Yay Yay Yay - Group Questions Part Deux

1. Who are the "owners of the land"? What are their main characteristics? How do the owners use terms such as "the Bank" and "the Company"? Why do the owners speak "as though the Bank or the Company were a monster"? Why is it said that "When the monster stops growing, it dies. It can't stay one size"? Why is it said that "The bank is something more than men, I tell you. It's the monster. Men made it, but they can't control it."?

The owners of the land are the banks, who are characterized by a large, destructive monster who sucks up everything and eats the farmer's. The bank and the company are used because they are associated with money and the process of making more of it. This puts money as the primary concern for them; the top on the list of priorities, leaving little room for caring about the farmers of the land that they work. It repossesses the land in the sake of saving as much money as possible, no matter how minuscule the amount it is. 

2. What does the cotton do to the land? Why do the farmers plant it?

The cotton is planted and it takes all the nutrients and water from the already hard-to-work soil. They hope to plant it all and make the land essentially useless, so they can sell to unsuspecting people.


3. What is the role and effect of technology in the mode of production depicted in the novel? What are the effects of increased productivity (due to technology) on the lives of farmers and labourers? How are tractors characterized? How about their drivers? What is their relationship to the land they work? What is happening to the land? What economic trend do the hired tractor drivers represent? What forms of production seem no longer possible? What seems to be the only alternative?

(Tractors --> Described as Insects --> Locusts --> Plague!)

4. What are the tenants thoughts on large amounts of property (five, ten thousand acres)? How does the size of the land affect the relations between the owner and the land he owns? How is the size of the land related to economic imperatives and emerging modes of production?




5. What arguments do the tenants use against the repossession of their lands by the owners? Why do they repeatedly point out that "Grampa took up the land, and he had to kill the Indians and drive them away... and he killed weeds and snakes"? Is this Ironic? Why?

They feel that the repossession isn't at all fair since the land is their livelihood and their way of sustaining themselves, supporting their family. They do so much with it, and they figure they should own because they're physically, mentally, and to some extent emotionally attached to it, rather than holding a piece of paper which is the only notification of the banks' ownership. Comparing snakes and weeds to the Indians, symbolizing them as things that are not wanted on the land that need to get out. However, the irony is that the farmers are mad that they are getting kicked off their land, when in fact Grampa kicked the Indians off their land and they feel this is justified. Snakes are more than likely a biblical reference here.

6. What is the significance of the unhung gate and the story of the Jacobs's baby devoured by a pig because a door was left open? What does the unhung gate indicate? What do the gates symbolize? What is their purpose, both literal and symbolic? How do such images relate to the concerns of the novel?

The gate was never kept open after the incident with the Baby getting eaten by a pig! :) The fact the gate is left open indicated to Tom that no one is around. His family, or more specifically, his mother is dead or they've moved somewhere else.

7. Why is there a picture of an Indian girl ("Red Wing") on the wall of the house? What about the sofa pillow (with a picture of an Indian on it) Grampa stole from Albert Rance? What about Albert's claim that "Grampa got Injun blood"?

Perhaps there is a connection between the manifest destiny and the overtaking of Indian land and the banks repossession of the land from the farmers. The house is desolate, ripped apart, with all the things taken out. Tom Joad has nothing left here, which is how the Native Americans felt once they got their land taken from them while being relocated to reservations or getting killed off. 

8. What is the significance of the figure of Muley Graves who refuses to leave the land? What does his name suggest? Why is he "like a damn ol' graveyard ghos'"? Why does he say, "If they throw me off, I'll come back, an' if they figger I'll be quiet underground, why. I'll take couple-three of the sons-a-bitches along for company"? Is this the only ghost that walks the land? What are ghosts anyway? Is this land haunted?

Muley means hornless when referring to a cow, or just a cow without horns. Stubborn as a mule is also an expression which fits the stubborn quality of Graves' wanting to stay on the land to rebel against the owners. Graves equates to death, lack of life, depression, all of which seem to suit the surrounding farmlands. He is described like a graveyard ghost due in part to his name, and perhaps the idea of a ghost town is a town that had all its inhabitants relocated with just empty buildings sitting alone. The farmlands seem to fit this description. 

9. Why do the owners claim (in Muley's words) that "We can't afford to keep no tenants... the share a tenant gets is jus' the margin, a profit we can't afford to lose."

It's too costly to keep folks around, especially on the land that is costing them money and not receiving any revenue from shortage of crop prices. The tenants get a portion of the share of the final profit, which is imperative to sustain their families and lead a life. The money-monster-bank can't see this as anything important, so they have to constantly be making as much money as possible, so they kick the families out on their own and possess their land. The amount paid to the farmer's is too much to be given away, so the bank feels it needs it.

10. Why does Muley share his food with Tom and Casy? What is his argument justifying his obligation to share? 

He does this because he has food and the other two men don't. He feels that he doesn't have a choice if one man's hungry and the other man has food, nothing can be done. He has to share. He was brought up on this value, and goes into the farmer morality and the good qualities in the farmer's as opposed to the Bank-monster who feel that if they have money and the farmer/tenants are struggling for it, they have the right to take it away from them and hoard the money for themselves. :(

Yay Yay Yay ~ Discussion Group Questions One

1. Look closely at the opening paragraphs. Steinbeck notes details as well as the wide angle shot. He was influenced by film - Pare Lorentz's documentaries The Plow that Broke the Plains and The River - and his description of place is cinematic here. The structure of these paragraphs mirrors the structure of the book, as it moves back and forth form the detailed Joad chapters of the inter chapters that cover a wider perspective.

2. The end of this opening chapter focuses on the people on the land, men vs. women. Note the ways that the book contrasts men's "figuring" to women's methods of coping.

The men appear strong, but don't know what to do once all their crops are gone. The women know that things will be alright as long as something remains. They only wait to see the actions of the men to see if they are ready to give up. Women know that in the end, everything will be alright.

3. Why does Steinbeck first introduce Tom Joad leaving jail? What thematic concerns are thus introduced?

It leaves people with questions but tells what he's been through. Insight is given into his background, meaning he has obviously done something bad, or perhaps he was framed. 

4. In Chapter 2 there is a mention of flies and bugs. (Page 5, Chapter 2) Why do you think this will be important?

Because the flies are desperate to get inside. Inside the diner is what they want, but they have an obstacle in the way (screen door) which correlates to the humans around those parts since there is little that can be done to grow crops.

5. What's the description of Tom Joad in chapter 2? What does this description tell us about him? Where did he come from and why was he there?

He has just come from jail and he has a bunch of new clothes on which it is assumed the prison gave him. The clothes are just the standard that are given to everybody that gets out of jail, and it is apparent that he might have a troubled past. He is fresh out of jail and is returning home or going somewhere familiar. 

6. What impression do you get of the Truck Driver in chapter 2? Why does he want to be a "Good Guy"? What theme does this reinforce?

Personally, I find him very annoying, especially because he was easily manipulated by Tom Joad and he repeated "Now don't get sore too many times". He wants to be a good guy because of what Tom said since he used his emotions against him. He wants to be a good guy and wants to do the right thing because the rich bastard boss isn't liked by the working class people. We vs. I, People vs. Molloch. 

7. What's significant about the following quote: "Sure they stop, but it ain't to eat. They ain't hardly ever hungry. They're just goddamn sick of goin' --get sick of it. Joints is the only place you can pull up, an' you stop you got to buy somepin so you can sling the bull with the broad behind the counter. So you get a cup of coffee and a piece of pie. Kind of gives a guy a little rest."

The truck drivers are desperate for attention or other interaction. This is why he picks up Tom. 

8. The turtle chapter is justly famous. Early reviewers often focused only on the historical accuracy of the novel, whereas Steinbeck insisted that he was not writing merely social history. His vision was also highly suggestive, symbolic, mythic. The book, he said, had four layers - readers could take out of the novel what they could, based on their sensitivity and sophistication as readers. The turtle symbolizes the migrants in several ways. Discuss.

The turtle symbolizes the migrant workers because the turtle works hard even through the tough times. The farmers in the first chapter are going to have to work through the drought and rough events even though things seem dire, things will work out in the end, just like the women know.

9. What opinion does Casy, the former preacher, have about sin and using "bad words"?

He says, that there is no sin and there is no virtue. There's just stuff people do. Bad words, he says 'scuse me' after he says hell so he must be a little tense about them, however, given his attitude on religion and how things have turned out in his life, he shouldn't give that much thought to them.

10. Why is it important that Casy was a "Burning Busher"?

Because the Burning Bush alludes to the Bible. The Burning Bush is where Moses was told to lead the Israelites. Suppose it symbolizes dedication to God, as Moses did what God told him by leading them there, given Casy's past experiences as a preacher, he must have obeyed God similarly until he couldn't make sense of it anymore..

11. What's significant about the Jesus Quote? What themes does it reinforce? 

The preacher doesn't seem to understand why people have to rely on God and Jesus so much. He says perhaps that maybe the strength of people and the Holy Sperit is within everyone. This correlates to the corporations and all the businesses buying up all the farmland leaving the people out. You can't have one person in power, rather have respect for everyone around. Themes: People vs. Molloch & Importance of Family