THE GRAPES OF WRATH STUDY GUIDE
The Broad Stage and Santa Monica Rep Present
The Grapes of Wrath Based on the novel by John Steinbeck Adapted by Frank Galati
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STUDENT MATINEE WED JAN 18, 2017 11:00 AM
Originally Produced on the Broadway Stage by
GRADES 9-12
The Shubert Organization, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Suntory International Corporation and Jujamcyn Theatres Corporation.
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THE GRAPES OF WRATH STUDY GUIDE
Jane Deknatel Director, Performing Arts Center EDUCATION & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS STAFF Alisa De Los Santos, Manager of Education & Community Programs Mandy Matthews, Education & Community Programs Associate Sam Sandoval, Education & Community Programs Assistant
THE BROAD STAGE 1310 11th Street Santa Monica, CA 90401 Box Office 310.434.3200 Fax 310.434.3439 info@thebroadstage.com thebroadstage.com
Education and Community Programs at The Broad Stage is supported in part by Herb Alpert Foundation Bank of the West Johnny Carson Foundation City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Arts Commission Colburn Foundation The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Leonard M. Lipman Charitable Fund Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation SMC Associates Sidney Stern Memorial Trust Dwight Stuart Youth Fund Ziering Family Foundation, a Support Foundation of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles
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EDUCATION & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS Phone 310.434.3560 education@thebroadstage.com thebroadstage.com/education
THE GRAPES OF WRATH STUDY GUIDE
Greetings from The Broad Stage! Dear Educators,
Santa Monica Rep is presenting Frank Galati’s adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic novel. Galati won two Tony awards for his adaptation and direction, following the premiere of the piece at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater in 1990. Santa Monica Rep brings the reality of 1930’s America to life on stage by telling the story of the displacement of the Joad family in the wake of the Dust Bowl. The Joad’s must survive as refugees in their own country as they journey to California in search of work. Their story speaks to the indomitability of the human spirit and the essential strength that resides in the hearts and minds of the “common man” throughout the world. The production highlights the themes of empathy, generosity, and adversity through language, music, and performance. Please take some time to work through some or all of the activities in this guide with your students. Each element of the guide has been developed by theatre artists and educators to help explain the concepts behind the performance you will be seeing and to engage your students both pre- and post-show. As always, the activities are supported by the California Common Core and the VAPA Standards. We hope that this guide proves to be helpful in preparing your students for the presentation. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions or ideas. We’ll see you at The Grapes of Wrath! Sincerely, Education & Community Programs Staff
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We are so excited to bring Santa Monica Rep back to The Broad Stage for their staged reading of The Grapes of Wrath. Santa Monica Rep was founded by Eric and Jen Bloom in 2010 and utilizes the unique capabilities of theater to contribute to a more intelligent, inquisitive, and engaged community. Their staged reading of The Grapes of Wrath is the perfect collaboration for high school teachers (like you!) with curious and capable students.
THE GRAPES OF WRATH STUDY GUIDE
Contents Lessons How to Use This Guide - 5 Framework Exercises - 6 Class Discussions - 8 Writing Exercises - 9 History Exercises - 11
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Appendix Handout 1: 1930’s America - 15 Handout 2: “This Land is Your Land” - 16 Handout 3: Dorothea Lange Photographs - 17 Handout 4: An Interview with the Director - 21 Handout 5: 1930’s Handbill - 22
Additional Resources Character Guide - 23 Synopsis - 24 Additional Resources - 27 Standards Addressed - 28
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Theatre Exercises - 13
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How to use this Guide This study guide was created to give you a greater degree of flexibility as you prepare your students to attend The Grapes of Wrath. Sections – The guide is arranged by type of exercise – class discussions, writing, history, theatre, etc. – to accommodate teachers working in multiple subjects. “A la carte” – Choose from various types of exercises that fit your students, classroom, and time. Explore as you go – Some exercises require students to have read up through a certain part of the script and are differentiated with a (part) note. Appendices – Use these resources as examples, clarification, and further exploration of the novel. Objectives: • Immerse students into The Grapes of Wrath and history of the Dust Bowl through collaborative and individual learning projects. • Assist in reading comprehension at all stages of the reading process
Summary: The lessons in this guide provide differentiated instruction in teaching concepts and themes present in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. Students will have the opportunity to discuss the Joad’s journey, observe 1930’s photographs, write creatively and persuasively about the themes in The Grapes of Wrath, and debate issues from the novel as they relate to present day society.
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• Differentiate instruction to meet the needs of English Language Learners and students who thrive under different learning modalities
THE GRAPES OF WRATH STUDY GUIDE
Framework Exercises Introductory Discussion Begin by reading the script and exploring themes and ideas of Steinbeck’s novel as a group. Class discussion prompts could include: Discuss disenfranchisement. What does disenfranchisement look like in the script and today? How is this similar to other forms of disenfranchisement? Family is an important aspect to the Joad’s story. How did the family members show their loyalty and commitment to each other throughout the play? How did the Joad’s spread their values of family to the people they met on their journey?
How is morality handled in The Grapes of Wrath? Are there shades of what is “good” and what is “bad” in The Grapes of Wrath? Are the issues black and white? Which characters struggle with issues of morality?
Introductory Activity As an introduction to The Grapes of Wrath, ask students to observe, reflect, and discuss Dorothea Lange’s photograph, “Migrant Mother.” Lange’s photograph was taken in February, 1936 at the height of the Dust Bowl. What can we learn about the Dust Bowl or The Grapes of Wrath by viewing this image? First, divide students into pairs and pass out Dorothea Lange’s photograph,“Migrant Mother” to each pair. Ask students to observe and annotate the details within the photograph together. What do you notice first? How does this photograph make you feel? Have the students explore the 5 W’s: Who, What, Where, When, and Why. Who is this woman? What do you think was happening when this was made? Where are they? When do you think this photo was taken? Why do you think the photographer took this photograph? Write the 5 W’s on the board, and invite each group to write a short answer underneath each W. Come back together as a class and have students observe the board. Lead a discussion based on the students answers. What did the photograph communicate about the 1930’s? Why was this image an icon of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl?
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In times when the characters had nothing, they still displayed generosity towards others who were also suffering. What are some examples of generosity in the play?
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Framework Exercises, cont.
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Class Discussions Generosity On page 25 of the script, Casy asks if he can join the Joad’s on the journey to California. Read Ma’s response in which she discusses the idea of giving to others when there is nothing left to give. Ask your students to discuss their opinion on Ma’s view. Should people share their belongings, food, or shelter even when it could be detrimental to them? Is there a point where your family’s survival is more important than the survival of others? If you were a member of the Joad family, would you agree with Ma? How is Rose of Sharon’s final action in the play related to Ma’s kind of generosity?
Refugees
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At the end of the story, Uncle John floats Rose of Sharon’s still born baby down the irrigation canal. What message was Uncle John sending to those people living in the nearby towns? What should the people who find the stillborn baby in The Grapes of Wrath do? What would be an appropriate response to the floating children of today’s refugee crisis?
Class Discussion and Debate Look closer and read Ma’s short monologue on page 79 of the script. What is Ma saying? What point is she making? What does she mean by saying, “Man, he lives in a jerk…Woman, it’s all one flow…”? 1. Have students write a paragraph or one-sheet stating their position on Ma’s statement on page 79. 2. Divide your class into halves (or smaller groups) that are for or against Ma’s statement. Allow students to discuss in their group why they agreed or disagreed. 3. Ask each side to give examples of why they agree or disagree with Ma. Are there characters from the text that are examples or exceptions to Ma’s statement? If there is a point for debate, allow each side to explore and discuss further.
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The 1930’s Dust Bowl displaced many people including the Joad’s in The Grapes of Wrath. People left their homes and traveled West in search for a better future. Would you characterize the Joad family as refugees? How is their situation related to the current refugee crisis in the world?
THE GRAPES OF WRATH STUDY GUIDE
Writing Exercises Symbolism In The Grapes of Wrath Steinbeck uses symbols in order to represent abstract ideas and concepts. Frank Galati’s script retains much of that symbolism. Have your students explore symbolism in Galati’s The Grapes of Wrath. 1. What does Rose of Sharon’s pregnancy symbolize? How does this symbol change after she gives birth to the still born baby? What is the significance of Rose of Sharon’s stillborn baby? Author’s often employ religious symbols, not to try to promote a religious belief, but rather to relate a theme that many people can understand.
3. Jim Casey is sometimes called a “Christ Figure.” Think about the initials of his name, his time in the wilderness, his feelings for the people, and his maturity as a philosopher while in jail (“Maybe all men got one big soul ever’ body’s a part of”), and his acts of sacrifice and eventual martyrdom. Explain how these help create such a symbol of Casey. Why do you think Steinbeck may have portrayed him this way? 4. Tom Joad learns from Casey and becomes like a disciple to him. What is a disciple? How do we see him become more like Casey along the journey? How do his last words to Ma demonstrate his carrying on where Casey left off?
Selected content from, LA Theater Works: http://www.latw.org/EDU-latw/aliveandaloud/images/grapesX2.pdf
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2. What does Uncle John’s act of sending the body down the irrigation canal allude to? Taken together with John’s speech to the baby, what might Steinbeck be saying about the Joad’s condition?
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Creative Writing Advertising On pages 35-37, the Joad’s talk to the Man Going Back about the handbill that was given to them and what the Man Going Back experienced in California. The Man Going Back discusses with the Joad’s how wages get driven down and that the handbill is false advertising. View Handout 5 to see an example of a handbill the Joad’s may have received. Have students research marketing campaigns, write about their findings, and describe how this ad makes them feel. Does the advertisement use language or visuals to pull in their audience? What is the company advertising? What is the truth behind their ad? Does the ad take advantage of its viewers? After reflecting on their ad, ask students to further explore the effects of media. What is the power of marketing? Can we believe everything that is shared in the media? What makes an article or image valid?
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Writing Prompts 1. What is Casy’s role in The Grapes of Wrath? What are his moral beliefs? How does his character expose Steinbeck’s themes of kindness, generosity, and human life? 2. Re-visit the dialogue between Ma and Tom on page 64-65 where Tom speaks about his struggle with his treatment by authority and page 78-79 when Tom echoes Casy’s philosophy and makes his decision to leave. How have Tom’s beliefs been influenced by the people around him? How have you incorporated the best of those around you in shaping your own truths? 3. At the top of page 79, Tom leaves Ma and the family for good. Although both Tom and Ma say only “Goodbye” to one another, their words mean so much more. Based on their relationship and the stage directions in the script, explore the subtext in their words of farewell. What does each one want to say? Write an internal monologue for both Tom and Ma exploring what each one leaves unsaid.
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Have students email or bring their examples to class for further discussion. How are their examples similar or different? Does the target audience affect the medium?
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History Exercises The World of the Play Distribute and review Handout 1: 1930’s America. • Did any information surprise you? Did you discover something that you previously did not know? • Do you consider the Dust Bowl a hidden history? What other parts of American history are unspoken? • How is the Dust Bowl described in The Grapes of Wrath? What personal picture did you paint of the imagery described in the play? • Why is this period of history important to study and analyze? Why do you think Santa Monica Rep decided to do a staged reading of The Grapes of Wrath?
History Study Questions: Research and Reflect
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1. The Great Depression of the late 1920’s and 1930’s affected the entire country, indeed parts of the world beyond the United States. It was particularly felt in the Southern Great Plains (parts of Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas). How did the Depression impact this area and add to the misery of those living there? 2. In 1935 an Associated Press writer named the region of the Southern Great Plains the “Dust Bowl.” What happened during the 30s in this area to create the Dust Bowl? Who or what was to blame—or was it a combination of factors? Have you or your family or someone you know had similar experiences with natural disasters? What effect did it have on your family or community? 3. The Joad’s are called “Okies” by the people they encounter on their journey. What defines an Okie? What characteristics do they have? Have Okies been present in other parts of history? 4. During this time, agriculture began to change, both in Oklahoma and California, from small farmers to mechanized agriculture. Explain how this change affected thousands of people like the Joad’s. What role did the banks play in this change? 5. Route 66 is a highway that has had a colorful, yet sad, history during this era of the migration of people from places like Oklahoma to California. Find out what you can about the highway’s history, including its use in song, television, movies, etc. 6. Why were some of the roadside camps called “Hoovervilles”? Describe the conditions of the camps and how these conditions made the Joad’s and other families feel. How were they treated by the authorities in the camps? How did other people in the camp help each other?
Selected content from, LA Theater Works: http://www.latw.org/EDU-latw/aliveandaloud/images/grapesX2.pdf THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
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The following five questions encourage students to research and analyze the events in history that lead up to or were an affect the Dust Bowl. Ask students to select a topic to further research and write a one page response answering the questions.
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History Exercises Music and Dust Bowl Ballads During the Dust Bowl, many folk songs and ballads were created by Okies who were suffering from the effects of the Dust Bowl. These songs spread across the travelers and were sung in the Okies’ camps in California. The most well-known songs were written by Woody Guthrie, an Okie who joined the movement West in search of work. Activity 1: Have students analyze Woody Guthrie’s song, “This Land is Your Land.” Read and analyze the lyrics on Handout 2. Discuss how the situation of the Dust Bowl influenced the lyrics. What is the meaning of this song in the context of the Dust Bowl? What are the underlying themes that connect to the Grapes of Wrath? ( For further information: http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/bios/woody-guthrie/)
Activity 2: Ask students to bring in and analyze two songs. First, bring in a historical song from a movement within history (music of the sixties, Dust Bowl, World War II) Answer: What is the song protesting? What can that song tell us about that period in history? Second, bring in a song of protest from a movement happening in today’s world. Have students write a one page comparison of the two songs. What do lyrics of the past look like in comparison to lyrics of today? What effect does music or art have on a movement?
Dorothea Lange Photographs Distribute or show Dorothea Lange’s photographs on Handout 3 and have students analyze the images. Why are Lange’s photographs important? What can her photographs tell us about the people and victims of the Dust Bowl? How is a photograph a primary source for historical research? Ask students to view Dorothea Lange’s photograph titled, “Migrant Mother: Destitute pea pickers in California. Mother of seven children. Age 32” from 1936. Have students observe the photo and write down words that come to mind when they view the image. Break out into small groups, and ask students to discuss the photograph together. • How is this mother similar to Ma Joad in The Grapes of Wrath? How does this compare to how you envisioned Ma? • Is Ma representative of all mothers who lived during the Dust Bowl? Is Ma special or different, or do you think other mothers at that time had a similar persona? • What happens when Rose of Sharon becomes a mother? Does she embody the characteristics modeled by Ma?
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For further exploration, ask students to research other Dust Bowl songs. What can these songs and lyrics tell us about the Dust Bowl and the people affected?
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Theater An Interview with the Director Before reading Handout 4: An Interview with the Director, ask students to make predictions for Director, Jen Bloom’s motivation for bringing The Grapes of Wrath to the stage. Distribute and read Handout 4: An Interview with the Director. Divide into small groups and have students discuss Ms. Bloom’s message. • Was Ms. Bloom’s message reflected in Santa Monica Rep’s production of The Grapes of Wrath? • Ms. Bloom says, “Every time I read the play or work on it with my company, I feel moved to social action and discussion.” After reading the script, did you feel moved to social action? If so, what kind? • What does Ms. Bloom mean when she says, “We had to find ways to make the music of the language come out, and have the words be our set?”
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Have students select a character from The Grapes of Wrath with whom they identify. Ask them to pick a pivotal point in the script where they felt the most connected to their character. Have them read over the scene, and write a monologue that fits within the scene. Prompt students to consider the tone and given circumstances of the scene and what the character might feel compelled to say.
Perform a Monologue Have students choose a short monologue from The Grapes of Wrath to rehearse and perform for the class. In their rehearsal, have students consider: • The given circumstance: what has just happened to prompt this monologue? • The historical situation: how can your knowledge of The Dust Bowl inform your performance? • Physical needs: how does this character physically feel at this moment? Tired? Thirsty? Hot/cold? Hungry/satisfied? • Objective: what does your character hope to accomplish with his/her words?
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Create a Monologue
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Theater Improvisation Pass out photocopies of the Dorthea Lange images on Handout 3. Choose three or four students to start. Using the Dorthea Lange photographs, have students improvise a scene based on their interpretation of the images. Allow for the students to establish their ideas and then call freeze. Students should freeze where they are. Choose another student and have them choose which actor they would like to replace in the scene by tapping them. Allow the new student to resume a new scene based on a new image with the remaining actors. Continue until every student has had his or her turn. Selected content from, LA Theater Works: http://www.latw.org/EDU-latw/aliveandaloud/images/grapesX2.pdf
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Handout 1: 1930’s America John Steinbeck set The Grapes of Wrath during 1930’s America. This was a decade of turbulence that included the height of the Great Depression and the ecological disaster of the Dust Bowl. People were starving, out of work, and desperate for a better future. Read about the Great Depression and Dust Bowl below in order to better imagine the world that the Joad’s lived in.
The Dust Bowl The Dust Bowl was the name given to the Great Plains region devastated by drought in 1930’s depression-ridden America. The 150,000-square-mile area, encompassing the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles and neighboring sections of Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico, has little rainfall, light soil, and high winds, a potentially destructive combination. When drought struck from 1934 to 1937, the soil lacked the stronger root system of grass as an anchor, so the winds easily picked up the loose topsoil and swirled it into dense dust clouds, called “black blizzards.” Recurrent dust storms wreaked havoc, choking cattle and pasture lands and driving 60 percent of the population from the region. Most of these “exodusters” went to agricultural areas first and then to cities, especially in the Far West.
Content from: http://www.history.com/topics/great-depression http://www.history.com/topics/dust-bowl
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Great Depression The Great Depression (1929-39) was the deepest and longest-lasting economic downturn in the history of the Western industrialized world. In the United States, the Great Depression began soon after the stock market crash of October 1929, which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions of investors. Over the next several years, consumer spending and investment dropped, causing steep declines in industrial output and rising levels of unemployment as failing companies laid off workers. By 1933, when the Great Depression reached its nadir, some 13 to 15 million Americans were unemployed and nearly half of the country’s banks had failed. Though the relief and reform measures put into place by President Franklin D. Roosevelt helped lessen the worst effects of the Great Depression in the 1930’s, the economy would not fully turn around until after 1939, when World War II kicked American industry into high gear.
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Handout 2: “This Land is Your Land” Words and Music by: Woodrow Wilson (“Woodie”) Guthrie, 1940 This land is your land, this land is my land From the California to the New York Island From the Redwood Forest, to the Gulf stream waters This land was made for you and me As I went walking that ribbon of highway I saw above me that endless skyway Saw below me the golden valley This land was made for you and me
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When the sun come shining, then I was strolling In wheat fields waving and dust clouds rolling The voice was chanting as the fog was lifting This land was made for you and me As I went walking I saw a sign there And on the sign it said “No Trespassing.” But on the other side it didn’t say nothing, That side was made for you and me. In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people, By the relief office I seen my people; As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking Is this land made for you and me? Nobody living can ever stop me, As I go walking that freedom highway; Nobody living can ever make me turn back This land was made for you and me.
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I roamed and rambled and followed my footsteps To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts All around me a voice was sounding This land was made for you and me
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Handout 3: Dorothea Lange Photographs Photographer Dorothea Lange (1895-1965) is best known for her work documenting poor conditions of the migrant workers who traveled in large numbers to California during the Great Depression of the late 1920’s and 1930’s. Lange used photography to document the difficult period of the Depression and to motivate agencies and individuals to take action to improve the situation. With her photographs Lange was able to capture the emotional and physical toll that the Depression and other events took on human beings across the country. Analyze Lange’s photographs with your students, and discuss its connection to The Grapes of Wrath and the Dust Bowl.
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Title: Oklahoma dust bowl refugees. San Fernando, California Year: June, 1935
Bio: America’s Library, http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/lange
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Handout 3: Dorothea Lange Photographs Cont.
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Title: Auto camp north of Calipatria, California. Approximately eighty families from the Dust Bowl are camped here. They pay fifty cents a week. The only available work now is agricultural labor Year: March, 1937
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Handout 3: Dorothea Lange Photographs Cont.
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Title: Depression refugee family from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Arrived in California June 1936. Mother and three half-grown children; no father. “Anybody as wants to work can get by. But if a person loses their faith in the soil like so many of them back there in Oklahoma, then there ain’t no hope for them. We’re making it all right here, all but for the schooling, ‘cause that boy of mine, he wants to go to the University” Year: November, 1936
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Handout 3: Dorothea Lange Photographs Cont.
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Title: “Migrant Mother” Destitute pea pickers in California. Mother of seven children. Age 32 Year: February, 1936 To research more of Dorothea Lange’s photographs, go to http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/print/catalog.html Photo Content: Farm Security Administration— Office of War Information Photograph Collection. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, DC. http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/print/catalog.html
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Handout 4: An Interview with the Director The Broad Stage Education & Community Programs Department took a moment in November 2016 to interview Santa Monica Rep Artistic Director, Jen Bloom. Bloom directed The Grapes of Wrath and was passionate about bringing Steinbeck’s novel to the stage. Read below to hear her experience about directing The Grapes of Wrath. 1. What was your reasoning for bringing The Grapes of Wrath story to the stage? Why The Grapes of Wrath, and why is it being produced now? Compassion and empathy for refugees. Anything that keeps us separate or “above” one another needs to be examined. How work and purpose define people. What happens when a way of life no longer exists. (Relationship between sharecropping and the auto and oil industries.)
I love plays that use the story of one family or group to show the story of us all. I feel real compassion for the Joads, and get caught up in their story, even though my life at its surface looks little like theirs. We live in a time when we have to dig to find how we are alike to move into a place of sympathy and compassion for people we don’t understand. Frank Galati’s adaptation from the novel into a play is also extremely dynamic and compelling. He was able to distill the conversations, events, epic landscape and characters into a single evening that feels like it belongs in the theatre. This isn’t always true of novels adapted into scripts. Every time I read the play or work on it with my company, I feel moved to social action and discussion. This isn’t just for entertainment; I really respond to that. 3. Did you encounter any challenges? Doing this play as a reading made us really focus on the language. It is a play meant to have music and movement in it, and a reading is traditionally performed very bare bones. We had to find ways to make the music of the language come out, and have the words be our set. It was also challenging to show the 35+ character sin the play with a cast of only 11.
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2. What stands out to you as a Director?
THE GRAPES OF WRATH STUDY GUIDE
Handout 5: 1930’s Handbill
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Grapes of Wrath Character Guide Based on the Novel TOM JOAD: Tom is the oldest child of Ma and Pa Joad and arrives home after being released from MacAlester Prison to find that his family has been pushed off their farm. He accompanies them to California, learning from Jim Casey and maturing during their journey. JIM CASEY: Jim is a former itinerant preacher who befriends the Joad family and goes with them to California. He listens to the people and thinks deeply and philosophically about what is happening to them. He becomes a role model for Tom. PA JOAD: Pa is the head of the family and the father of Tom, Noah, Al, Rose of Sharon, Ruthie and Winfield. He becomes less and less able to make decisions as life gets more difficult on the journey.
GRANPA AND GRANMA JOAD: They are the elders and have a hard time leaving the land that has been home for so long. They represent a generation who cannot make it to the “Promised Land” of California. ROSE OF SHARON: Rose is married to Connie Rivers and is pregnant with their first child. Her name, a Biblical reference, means “flower of the desert.” Her final act may be symbolic of her name. NOAH JOAD: Noah is one of the brothers and is quiet and a little strange. He decides to stay by the river and not go on with the family into California. AL JOAD: Al is young and a bit full of himself but is a loving brother and hard worker. He loves cars and girls and really knows how to fix cars, a valuable skill on the journey. RUTHIE AND WINFIELD: Ruthie and Winfield are the youngest Joads and, as Tom says when they cross into California for the first time, “Who’s really seein’ it is Rughie an’ Winfiel’.” They represent the future. CONNIE RIVERS: Connie is married to Rose of Sharon and is a dreamer but not a doer. He deserts Rose of Sharon and the family because he cannot deal with the reality of the family’s difficulties. UNCLE JOHN: Uncle John is Pa Joad’s brother and is a sad man who feels guilty about the death of his young wife years earlier. He drinks too much on occasion to release his sorrow, but he is kind to the younger children. His act at the end of the story with Rose of Sharon’s baby reveals Steinbeck’s anger at what is happening to all these migrant workers.
Content from, La Theater Group: http://www.latw.org/EDU-latw/aliveandaloud/images/grapesX2.pdf THE BROAD STAGE AT THE SANTA MONICA COLLEGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1310 11TH ST., SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 / 310.434.3560
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MA JOAD: Ma is the wife of Pa Joad and the matriarch of the family. Ma is truly the strength and backbone for all of them and is especially close to Tom. She guides Rose of Sharon in the ways of becoming a woman.
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Grapes of Wrath Synopsis Based on the Novel John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath tells the specific story of the Joad family, and thus illustrates the hardships and oppression suffered by migrant laborers during the Great Depression. It is an explicitly political piece of writing, one that champions collective action by the lower classes. In taking this social stance, Steinbeck’s novel criticizes shortsighted selfinterest and chastises corporate and banking elites for profit-maximizing policies that ultimately forced farmers into destitution and even starvation. The novel begins with a description of the conditions in Dust Bowl Oklahoma that ruined crops and instigated massive foreclosures on farmland. No specific characters emerge initially; this is a technique that Steinbeck will employ several times in the book, posing descriptions of events in a large social context against descriptions of events more particular to the Joad family.
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On his travels home, Tom meets a onetime preacher, Jim Casy, a talkative man gripped by doubts over religious teachings and the presence of sin. He gave up the ministry after realizing that he found little wrong with the sexual liaisons he had with the women in his congregation. Casy espouses the view that what is holy in human nature comes not from a distant God, but from people themselves. Steinbeck contrasts Tom’s return with the arrival of bank representatives to evict the tenant farmers. The possibility of a working class insurrection is raised, but an effective target for collective action cannot be found. Tom and Casy reach the Joads’ house, only to find that it has been deserted. Muley Graves, a local elderly man who may not be sane, tells them that the Joads have been evicted, and that the family now stays with Uncle John. Muley’s own family has left to find work in California, but Muley decided to stay himself. Steinbeck then provides a description of the tactics that car dealers use to exploit impoverished customers. The dealers find that they can make greater profits by selling damaged jalopies than by selling dependable new cars. Tom Joad finds the rest of his family staying with Uncle John, a morose man who has been prone to depression since the death of his wife several years earlier. Yet Tom’s mother is a strong, sturdy woman who is the moral center of family life. His brother, Noah, may have been brain damaged during childbirth, while his sister, Rose of Sharon (called Rosasharn by the family) is recently married and pregnant. Her husband, Connie Rivers, has dreams of studying radios. Tom’s younger brother, Al, is only sixteen. This introduction to Steinbeck’s characters is followed by a more general description of the sale of items by impoverished families who intend to leave Oklahoma for California, as the Joads expect to do.
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Tom Joad, a man not yet thirty, approaches a diner dressed in spotless, somewhat formal clothing. He hitches a ride with a truck driver, who presses Tom for information until Tom finally reveals that he was just released from McAlester prison, where he served four years for murdering a man during a fight. Steinbeck follows this exchange with an interlude describing a turtle crossing the road, which serves as a metaphor for the struggles of the working class.
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Grapes of Wrath Synopsis, cont. Based on the Novel The Joads plan to go to California on account of flyers advertising work in the California fields. These flyers, as Steinbeck will soon reveal, are fraudulent advertisements meant to draw more workers than necessary and drive down wages. Jim Casy asks to accompany the Joads to California so that he can work with the people in the fields rather than preach at them. Before the family leaves, Grampa Joad declares his refusal to go, but the family gives him medicine to knock him unconscious and takes him along. The subsequent chapters describe the vacant houses that remain after the Oklahoma farmers have left for work elsewhere, as well as the conditions on Route 66, the highway that stretches from Oklahoma to Bakersfield, California.
The Wilsons’ car soon breaks down, and Tom and Casy consider separating from the rest of the family temporarily to fix the car, but Ma Joad refuses to let the family break apart even for a short time. Tom and Al do find the necessary part to fix the car at a junkyard. Before the Joads set out on their journey again, they find a man returning from California, who tells them that there is no work there and that the promises of work in the flyers are all fraudulent. The Joads and Wilsons reach California, where they are immediately subjected to intimidation by police officers who derisively call them, and other migrant laborers, “Okies.” At the first camp where the Joads stay, Granma becomes quite ill, but receives some comfort from proselytizing Jehovites who merely annoy Ma Joad. The next time the police stop the Joads on their travels, Ma Joad forces the authorities to let the family pass without inspection. She does this to conceal the fact that Granma has died. Steinbeck follows this with a description of the history of California, which has apparently been marked by oppression and slavery. However, he predicts an imminent revolution, for the people there have been deprived to such a great degree that they must at some point take whatever they need in order to survive. At the next camp where the Joads stay in their search for work, they learn about Weedpatch, a government camp where the residents are spared harassment by police officers and have access to amenities such as baths and toilets. Later, when police officers attempt to start a fight with Tom and several other migrant workers, Tom trips an officer and Casy knocks him unconscious. To keep Tom from taking the blame (and from consequently being sent back to jail for violating his parole), Casy accepts responsibility for the crime and is taken away to jail. The rest of the family begins to break apart as well. Uncle John leaves to get drunk, Noah decides to leave society altogether and live alone in the woodlands, and Connie abandons his pregnant wife. Before they must move on, Tom does retrieve Uncle John, who is still consumed with guilt over his wife’s death. They head north toward the government camp.
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Almost immediately after the journey begins, the Joad family loses two members. The first victim is the family dog, which is run over during the Joads’ first stop. The second is Grampa Joad, who dies of a stroke. The Wilson family helps the Joads when Grampa dies, and the two families decide to make the journey to California together. Steinbeck follows this with a larger statement about the growing of a collective consciousness among the working class, who shift their perceptions from “I” to “we.”
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Grapes of Wrath Synopsis, cont. Based on the Novel At the government camp, the Joads are shocked to find how well the other residents treat them and how efficiently this society (which even features democratic elections) functions. Tom also finds work quickly, but the contractor, Mr. Thomas, warns him that there will be trouble at the dance at Weedpatch that weekend. Since the police can only enter the camp if there is trouble, they intend to plant intruders there who will instigate violence.
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Although Tom wishes to leave the family in order to save them from taking responsibility for his actions, the Joads nevertheless decide to leave Hooper Ranch for a location where Tom can be safe. They reach cotton fields up north, where Tom hides in the woods while the family stays in a boxcar. Although the family attempts to keep Tom’s identity and location a secret, young Ruthie Winfield reveals it during a fight with another child. When Ma tells Tom about this, he decides to leave the family and go off alone, determined to fight for the cause for which Casy died. He vows to return to his family one day. The rainy season arrives almost immediately after Tom leaves the family; massive flooding results from this weather. The Joads are caught in a dangerous situation: they cannot escape the flooding because Rose of Sharon suddenly goes into labor. While other families evacuate the camp near the rapidly rising creek, the Joads remain and attempt to stop the flood waters. Without the aid of others, the Joads are unsuccessful, and they must seek refuge on the top of their car. Rose of Sharon delivers a stillborn child that Uncle John sends in a box down the creek. The family eventually reaches higher ground and finds a barn for shelter. Inside the barn is a starving man and his young son. Steinbeck ends the novel with Rose of Sharon, barely recovered from the delivery, breastfeeding the dying man to nurse him back to health.
Synopsis from: http://www.gradesaver.com/the-grapes-of-wrath/study-guide/summary
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The Joads settle into a comfortable existence at the government camp, and during the dance that Saturday, Tom and several other residents defuse the situation, preventing the police from taking control of the camp. Nevertheless, after a month in Weedpatch none of the Joads have found steady work; the family members realize that they must continue on their journey. They arrive at Hooper Ranch, where the entire family picks peaches. The wages they receive are higher than normal, for they are breaking a strike. Tom finds out that the leader of the labor force that is organizing the strike is Jim Casy. After spending time in prison, Casy realized that he must fight for collective action by the working class against the wealthy ruling class; Tom decides to join Casy in his efforts. Yet Tom, Casy, and the other strike leaders get into a fight with strike breakers, one of whom murders Casy with a pick. Tom struggles with the man and wrests away the weapon. He, in turn, kills the man who murdered Casy, and barely escapes capture by the police.
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Additional Resources History of the Dust Bowl: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/dust-bowl-migration/pdf/ teacher_guide.pdf Analyzing Primary Sources from the Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/resources/Analyzing_Primary_Sources.pdf Dorothea Lange Photographs in the Library of Congress database: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=Dorothea%20Lange%20Dust%20Bowl Woody Guthrie Website: http://www.woodyguthrie.org/
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California Common Core Standards Addressed
Speaking and Listening Grades 9-12 1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on- one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas. b. Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed. 5. Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. Reading Standards for Literature Grades 9-12 1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. 3. Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. Reading Standards for Literacy in History/ Social Studies Grades 9-12 2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.
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Writing Grades 9-12 2. Write Informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. b. Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic. 3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
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VAPA Standards Addressed Theater Grades 9-12 1.0 Artistic Perception Development of the Vocabulary of Theatre 1.1 Use the vocabulary of theatre, such as acting values, style, genre, and theme, to describe theatrical experiences. Comprehension and Analysis of the Elements of Theatre 1.2 Document observations and perceptions of production elements, noting mood, pacing, and use of space through class discussion and reflective writing.
3.0 Historical and Cultural Context Role and Cultural Significance of Theatre 3.2 Describe the ways in which playwrights reflect and influence their culture in such works as Raisin in the Sun, Antigone, and the Mahabarata. 4.0 Aesthetic Valuing Derivation of Meaning from Works of Theatre 4.2 Report on how a specific actor used drama to convey meaning in his or her performances. 5.0 Connections, Relationships, Applications Connections and Applications Across Disciplines 5.1 Describe how skills acquired in theatre may be applied to other content areas and careers.
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2.0 Creative Expression Development of Theatrical Skills 2.1 Make acting choices, using script analysis, character research, reflection, through the rehearsal process. Creation/Invention in Theatre 2.2 Write dialogues and scenes, applying basic dramatic structure: exposition, complication, conflict, crises, climax, and resolution.