I must confess I don't remember if I read this book when I was in High School. I don't think I did. I had some rather avant garde English teachers so I imagine we chose our own books. I do remember reading Lord of the Flies at some point (and hating it!). And I remember reading Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes. But that's all I remember. Strange that a book so widely acclaimed was not a part of my education. But I'm showing my age when I say that "traditional" classes of any shape or form were on their way out when I walked the hallways of James Caldwell High School.
John Steinbeck published The Grapes of Wrath in 1939 and documented the journey of the fictional Joad family when they were forced off their land in Oklahoma and headed to California with the hopes of starting a new life there. Steinbeck's wife is actually credited with coming up with the book's title. It refers to a line in the Battle Hymn of the Republic which was written by Julia Ward Howe. The hymn's lyrics in turn refer to a passage in the Bible from the Book of Revelation. "And the angel swung his sickle to the earth, and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God" (Revelation 14:19), and from a passage in the book "...in the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy..." (Chapter 25). Taking the image of Divine judgment and deliverance from the Biblical passage, Steinbeck's novel hints that cooperation amongst the workers will deliver them from the oppression which occurred as a result of the Dust Bowl. The book was made into a movie the year after it was published. It was directed by John Ford and starred Henry Fonda.
I have never been one to enjoy reading, and many of the old classics we were assigned to read, I skimmed only the surface, so much of the contents are not truly remembered. As I hear about some of the old classics I often wish I would have developed a love for books.
@bkbinthecity Thanks Brian! I can hardly remember anything I read in high school! Now I'm wondering if I read anything at all! @salza Thanks Sally! @paulavdmerwe Thanks Paula! @digitalrn I've always liked to read, but it's funny- I can't remember the books I read in high school!! @httpgeffed Thanks Colleen! @mrssmith Thanks Carla! I sort of remember having to read Jane Eyre then but even that doesn't seem like it was assigned- wow- it's pretty bad when you can't remember what books you read!
@prttblues Thanks Bev! I liked how this one turned out better than Apocalypse Now but all in all, I spent way too much time on the computer playing around with them!
there are a lot of books that i say i haven't read, i get the book and instantly i would remember that i already have read it. maybe because back then, the books i got always had ripped covers. most times i read the book, but i have no idea who wrote it or its title. but there are still a lot of books i want to read and haven't gone around to doing so. so many books to read, so little time. i like how you processed this photo. the colour really depicts 'wrath'. very nice.
@salza Thanks Sally!
@paulavdmerwe Thanks Paula!
@digitalrn I've always liked to read, but it's funny- I can't remember the books I read in high school!!
@httpgeffed Thanks Colleen!
@mrssmith Thanks Carla! I sort of remember having to read Jane Eyre then but even that doesn't seem like it was assigned- wow- it's pretty bad when you can't remember what books you read!
@gphelps5 Thanks Bulldog! It's certainly not as funny as yours, but it fits the bill.
@wenbow Thanks Wendy!