Introduction:

 

The purpose of this website (and the questions with which it presents) is to anaylsis the fictional characters and events within John Steinbeck's 1939 novel "The Grapes of Wrath" and relate them to the much larger historical picture of America in the 1930's.

 

 

The 1930's America:

 

The 1930s were a turbulant time in American history.  The overproduction of crops during this decade had exposed the bare fertile grounds of the Great Plains.  However, when the country experienced a major drought, the fertile dirt turned to dust and strong winds created giant dust storms which went on for nearly a decade.  These events are what came to be known as the Dust Bowl.

 

You also have to keep in mind that the United States was still suffering through the Great Depression and that they were on the verge of entering the Second World War.  This is also a time where The New Deal was being implemented to encourage some national change for the better.

 

 

Task:

 

Your assignment is to pretend as though you've been taken back to the 1930s in a time machine and that you are able to bring the knowledge of the future back in time with you.  There is an old cliche that states, "Knowledge is power."  Use this assignment as an example to prove it.

 

"The Grapes of Wrath" is a commentary on the problems faced by most families in the 1930s.  Assuming that your actions will not destroy the universe or jeopardize your own existence but only make life easier for those individuals living within the time period - What "real" national problem(s) mentioned in the book would you choose to fix?  Why did you choose to fix these problems?  How would you go about fixing these problems?  What change do you think that this would have on a national level?  Be specific with your answers.

 

 

Process:

 

Write a 5 page research essay.  Begin with an introduction about John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" and identify real national events that are occuring in the lives of these fictional characters.  Cite specific examples in the book. (Some things to look out for would be The Great Depression, The Dust Bowl, the movement westward, and The New Deal)

 

Once you have indentified at least three historic events within the novel, write a paragraph on each one.  In each paragraph you need to state the historic event, give a brief but informative description about it, and state how you would have fixed and/or modified it with the knowledge we have now in the 21st century.

 

For example, if you wanted to address the issue of how you could have fixed the Dust Bowl.  Research modern agriculture/farming techniques and how they prevent such occurances from still happening during times of a drought.

(Each paragraph should be 8 to 10 sentences in length.)

 

Your conclusion should wrap up the points you have made and state what you have learned from this research exercise.

 

This essay should be 5 pages in length.

 

 

Evaluation:

 

You will be graded on:

- Content  (20 points)

- Clarity     (20 points)

- Length    (50 points)

- Must be done in MLA or APA format  (10 points)

(Include Works Cited Page - This does not count as one of the five pages.)

 

This assignment is worth 100 points.

 

The length of time that you will have to complete this assignment will be 3 weeks to read "The Grapes of Wrath" and 1 week to complete the MLA/APA essay.  Grades for the assignment will decrease by 10% every day that the assignment is late.