1. What are the causes that contribute to the changes in the character of the migrant people?
The fact that they were forced to move and the move its self changed them. Being forced to do something and to live a certain way changes the attitude of people, it fills them with anger and resentment. The moving itself, across the highways, from camp to camp, the people witness things that change their whole outlook. They see innocent children dying from starvation and sickness, and elders who aren’t strong enough to make the trip are dying as well. They see their families being torn apart by this heartless force (Moloch/The Monster) and it causes them to loose hope, but at the same time it fuels the fire and gives them a reason to live, and to fight, so they can overthrow this monster that is now controlling their lives.
2. As a result of the growing numbers of migrant people, what changes take place in the locals?
The locals start feeling threatened by the migrant workers that are moving in because they are afraid of them taking their land and their jobs. Things were hard enough with out the migrant workers and now it is making things tougher on the locals. So the locals had to defend what was theirs, by banning together and doing every thing in their power to keep the migrant workers in their place. The theme of “We” vs. “I” becomes very prominent, instead of every man for themselves like it was before in California they now realize that they have to ban together and stay strong against the migrant workers, and then the same goes for the migrant workers, they have to stay together so they can make a life in California.
3. How are the “little people” of California similar to the “Okies”?
The little people were farmers who didn’t own canneries. Because of this the “great owners”, banks and companies (who owned canneries) would take their land and farms. The little people then would do the best they could to make a living in town. But once they ran their credit dry they would hit the crowded road with crazed men in search of work. The little people are now joined with the Okies and are being called invaders from the west.
4. Explain this quote: “The great landowners were glad . . . And pretty soon now we’ll have serfs again.”
The Great landowners were glad because the handbills they had sent out had worked and attracted people to come and work in California. Because of all the people the wages stayed low and prices of the business profits went up. This made the landowners happy because their plan had worked and they continued to not help the ones in need such as the Okies/little farmers.
5. What are the major differences between Weedpatch and the Hoovervilles?
Weedpatch
· Government supported camp – part of the FDR New Deal
· “We” vs. ”I”
· Make their own rules; they police themselves; have their own government
· Everything is clean and kept clean by the people
· Committees oversee things
· The police can’t come in
· Everyone shares (Tom’s job)
· Dances and music
· People can work for rent
· Borrow money without fear of paying it back
· People here are human.
· Mr. Thomas
· Farmers association – Bank
· The bank told them they have to pay his people 25 cents because he was paying his people too much.
Hooverville
· Unorganized
· Cardboard boxes and tents
· Can be burned by police and citizens
· Lawless
· Dirty
· Mayor – is bull simple or whipped by the “I” (police) of the monster
· No one shares (jobs and things)
6. Is Weedpatch Steinbeck’s version of Paradise? Is there a serpent? Explain your answers.
Weedpatch is indeed Steinbeck’s version of paradise; it is a clean camp with a set up government, a place where people can find work and a camp with dances and music. As far as I can tell there is no serpent in Weedpatch. They keep the police out so they can’t be considered the serpent at this camp, and there is no one else who could pose as a serpent, except for maybe the crazy religious lady. She makes every thing out to be a sin and causes unpleasantness throughout the camp.
7. Timothy invites Tom to join Wikie and him at work, even though it means fewer hours for the Wallaces’. How does this action contribute to the “we” theme of the novel?
Timothy knows that in order to make it through these harsh times people need to make money, and they need to stick together. Timothy probably thought that if it was him in Tom’s situation that he would want the same treatment.
8. What is the connection between the Bank of the West and the Farmer’s association? How does the landowner explain this to the men?
The Bank of the West owns the Farmers Association. Thomas says that the bank owns most of his valley however, its got paper on everything it doesn’t own. Tom found out that it was the association that sent the men to burn down the Hooverville.
9. Why does the association dislike the government camps?
Because the government camps wont allow any cops or deputies in the camp. The Association is afraid the people in the government camps are going to organize themselves and rebel.
10. What does Ma mean when she says, “We come home to our own people…why, I feel like people again?”
She found out that in this camp the people are actually decent human beings. They are like the people they used to know back home, and it gives her comfort and a little sense of the way things used to be when they were back home.
11. Describe the atmosphere at Ma’s tent. What contributes to that atmosphere?
Ma feels that her family isn’t good enough to be at this camp and she thinks its important to make a good impression on the committee. Pa however, is suspicious of the people at the camp; such as the man that stopped by for coffee. He thought the man had an ulterior motive, however he was just being kind. All the tension in the tent is caused by the fact that no matter where they move, people don’t want them there so they continue to be untrusting and cautious.
12. what does the “sin-woman” represent? How does Rose of Sharon react? How doe Ma deal with her when she appears again.
The sin woman represents the serpent or the devil. She makes things that bring people joy into sins. She thinks that anything that people find pleasure in is a sin. She scares Rose of Sharon when she talks to them, and the next time she comes around Ma gets mad and tells her to leave.
13. The members of the committee have a sense of self-importance. Is self-importance of value? Explain.
In the women’s committee they take turns being chairman. Self-importance is what makes sure the chairman of the week is the one doing her job. In order to be on the committee you have to be elected by the people of the camp. If the women worry too much about themselves they wont last on the committee for long, so self importance isn’t really of much value.
14. How do the Children handle adapting to their new environment?
Ruthie has a little harder time then Winfield. Trying to impress Winfield, she runs in on the other kids mallet game and scares them. From then on the kids didn’t want to play with Ruthie any more. Winfield saw this entire thing happen and waited until the start of the next game to play.
15. What do Pa, Al and John discover about the availability of work?
They found out that there was no work available and that no one was hiring.
16. After their emotionally torturous ordeal, what are Ma and Pa finally realizing?
They realized that they are finally in a good place but they are upset that all the family that stayed behind will never get to see it or be a part of it. They don’t know who survived or not, and they just wish that they could all be together again.
17. The family is temporarily happy. What events foreshadow the problems to come?
When Pa and Ma talk about Doves sitting close together on the wires this represents the fact that if you get to close together you will get “zapped.” Which foreshadows the chances of what is going to happen if the people in the camp start to get to close, their future may not end well.
