The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck stemmed his observation in a gloomy historical episode where people were displaced and the social upheaval is looming. The characters in the family were depicted in a way that even their tiny behaviors were described, for example, the movements of the facial muscle and the color of men whiskers that are under natural light. I find those observations not only bring them to life but also transcend my own everyday observation of people in its richness of details. Steinbeck is a master of this and I need to come back to get a better understanding of his technique.
I felt relieved to pull out the bookmark from this book, for good. It was a long read and times are that I had to stop reading the chapters where the family were going through hardships that seem dramatical in nowadays perspective but were actually close to reality. As I looked up from the book and tilted around, I try to appreciate the elements in the book that are relatable to the real life. The sharp note from Steinbeck on the then society itself is alarming because the humans seem to be repeating ourselves on how we handle the hardships in a social scale and how there are always inequity, bringing fear and anger. These observations are all over and they are woven into the story through my whole read. As people won’t change themselves, they are equally stern not to give in to anything they face.
05.01.2024
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