Discussion points for The Grapes of Wrath

Dear Academic Decathlon Team,


For those of you who have the authorized edition of the text, here are some discussion points and questions that may be useful. They are wide ranging and may delve into territory that may not fit our purposes. I have asked Mr. Tuomala to vet my meanderings.

I suggested that you annotate the Introduction and the text to prepare for the writing of Cornell Notes on the material. I have done this myself. The following is the upshot of my annotations of the Introduction in the authorized edition. The page numbers do not match those in the library edition.

Owing to illness, I missed your meeting. I plan to attend all others when my presence will be useful.


DISCUSSION POINTS:

1. Look up all unfamiliar words or those used in a peculiar fashion.

2. Be aware of these terms: verisimilitude, universality, Fascism, Marxism, Socialism, author's purpose, and point of view. When I discover other terms, I shall mention them.

3. What are the contributions of Steinbeck's first wife?

4. Who is Tom Collins? What did he do for Steinbeck?

5. Why is Elizabeth Otis important?

6. Page ix: Steinbeck's claim of the "aim of his work."

7. Page x: Why do some critics suggest that Steinbeck had Marxist leanings?

8. Page x: Where does the title come from? Who suggested it?

9. Page xii: Be aware of the differences between the film and the novel.

10. Page xiv: What do the expressions "pushed back the boundaries of traditional mimetic fiction" and "redefined proletarian form" mean?

11. Page xv: Why is Tom Joad the archetypal bad guy? What function does this serve in the novel?

12. Page xv: Why is the Hudson the new hearth?

13. Page xv: In relation to Tom Joad, what purposes do Ma and Casy serve?

14. Page xvi: How did Steinbeck structure his novel?

15. Page xvi: What is a "relational thinker?"

16. Page xvii: From which point of view is the novel written?

17. Page xvii: Why is the novel described as symphonic?

18. Pages xvii and xxii: What are the five layers of the novel?

19. Page xx: "the universality of the human condition"

20. Page xxi: Steinbeck's education

21. Page xxi: Of what does Steinbeck say he is a product?

22. Page xxii: Carol Henning Steinbeck's Communist Party membership

23. Page xxiii: Origin of the title

24. Page xxiv: Tom Collins

25. Page xxv: Tom Collins' notes

26. Page xxvii: To what music did Steinbeck listen?

27. Page xxviii: What is Associated Farmers Inc?

28. Page xxix: Who is Dorothea Lange and how is she connected to Steinbeck?

29. Page xxix: What is advocacy journalism? How is exemplified today?

30. Page xxxi: What is the import of Steinbeck's letter to Elizabeth Otis?

31. Page xxxii: Steinbeck's physical condition

32. Page xxxii: Steinbeck's statement on anger

33. Page xxxiii: Why does Steinbeck think the growers and their supporters are Fascists?"

34. Page xxxiii: Why can't Steinbeck do satire?

35. Page xxv: Why is it said that Steinbeck took the Joad's struggle to the realm of art?

36. Page xxvi: What was going on in the world in 1938? How may that may have influenced the novel?

37. Page xxxvii: Is the "crucified preacher's (Casey) gospel Christian or Marxist?

38. Page xxxviii: More on the fifth layer of the novel

39. Page xxxviii: "multiple streams of subjective experience, ameliorism, graphic realism, environmentalism, biblical themes, literary traditions, and symbolic forms"

40. Page xxxix: Why did Elizabeth Otis perform the "act of Bowdlerism" (censorship) on the novel?

41. Page xl: Political repercussions of the novel

42. Page xli: Counterattacks on the novel

43. Page xliii: "The process of writing a book..."

44. Page xlv: prefiguring of "global warming"


I do not pretend to know the answers to all the questions I have presented nor to know all the ramifications of my suggestions.



FINIS CORONAT OPUS!

Second Message to the Academic Decathlon Team

Dear Team,

Now that you have begun reading and annotating the text of The Grapes of Wrath, I suggest that you convert those annotations into Cornell Notes.

For those of you not familiar with this form of graphic organizer, you may locate it on line. For my classroom purposes, I altered the original form to suit my students' needs . I had my students write pertinent questions in the left margin of their papers to be answered by evidence from the text together with their own exegesis on the right side of the paper. You are, of course, free to do you it either way.

This exercise is designed to foster discussion and recall. If you have questions, feel free to email me.

R. Melling

PAX DEORUM SIT SEMPER VOBISCUM!

Message to the Academic Decathlon Team

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:

As Mr. Tuomala has told you, I shall blog suggestions and questions for you to research.

Firstly, I should like you to study and annotate the "Introduction" in the authorized text. I know that not all of you have access to the authorized text. Perhaps photocopies can be made.

Secondly, please read and annotate the text. If you do not have the authorized text, please write your questions, predictions, suppositions, and insights in a notebook. Note the page number, as well. This will facilitate your discussions with me and other team members.

Lastly, please feel free to contact me at my email address. Mr. Tuomala will give it to you.


AD ASTRA PER ASPERA!