You will choose ONE of the following questions and then write an essay in which you demonstrate your abilities to: read carefully, understand and explain the texts production, historical context and rich socio-political and socio-economic commentary, as well as your ability to conduct academic research and include references in your work as necessary.
1). According to John Steinbeck, one of his goals in writing The Grapes of Wrath was to: put the tag of shame on the greedy bastards who are responsible for this. Do you think Steinbeck was successful in creating this tag of shame? Why or why not? Support your claim with evidence from the text and academic outside research.
2). According to John Steinbeck, one of his goals in writing The Grapes of Wrath was to: rip the readers nerves to rags. Do you think Steinbeck was successful in making his audience feel that way? Why or why not? Support your claim with evidence from the text and academic outside research.
3). Watch the PBS Ken Burns documentary The Dust Bowl and compare and contrast the experiences of the Joad Family and other migrant workers with the Midwestern families depicted in the documentary. Support your comparisons with evidence from both the text and film, as well as further supportive outside research. (more info on renting/downloading/finding the documentary can be found here: https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/)
Your outside sources should be used to further bolster your argument and may include: finding stats/data/demographic info on the time period; biographical data and credentials on Steinbeck; historical reviews and reaction to Steinbecks work; etc. All sources should be academic in nature and should be provided on your works cited/reference page.
