The Grapes of Wrath: Rich vs. Poor

In The Grapes of Wrath, there are huge conflicts between the rich and the poor. In the time that the story takes place there are many difficulties finding and keeping jobs. Many families are going hungry and dying. There is also not a whole lot of compassion in the world.

We see from the beginning of the novel that the rich obviously triumph over the poor. The Joads and other families are kicked off their farms because they can not keep up with the growing agricultural machines. Soon, rich farmers take over their farms and destroy their homes. Once on the road the Joads get swindled by used car salesmen, gas station attendants, and others of the like.

In the side-note chapters the author tells about the rich farmers in California. He explains how they guard their land and do not let anyone farm on any little bits of it, even if those parts are not being farmed on at all. It seems that the rich are very selfish. It actually seems like everyone acts a little selfish in order to stay alive.

There are some cases that are told in the novel that show there is still a little bit of humanity and compassion in the world.

The story of the waitress at a diner is a good example of this unseen compassion. A man comes in to ask the waitress if she can sell him a loaf of bread for 10 cents. The waitress says no, she does not work in a grocery store, and if she were to sell him bread it would have to be for 15 cents. Then the man's two sons walk in the door and look longingly at some candy that costs about 10 cents. The waitress, seeing the sadness in the boys' eyes, sells the loaf of bread to the man and also two pieces of the candy for only a penny each. After seeing this good deed, the truckers in the diner (they usually give pretty big tips) gave the waitress an even bigger tip.

Another example of compassion comes from Ma Joad. While in one of the Hoovervilles, Ma makes her family some soup. Many children in the village can smell the soup, and they all come crowding around the tent. Ma feeds her family the soup, but she makes sure she has enough leftovers for the hungry children outside.