Essay | Symbolism in Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath, a novel by John Steinbeck, illustrates the desperate, dry, conditions that the American farm families experience during the late 1920's and early 1930's. Steinbeck uses four major symbols in the novel to describe the lives of the migratory farm families in Oklahoma during the infamous "Dust Bowl" period. These three symbols are: the turtle, the grapes, and the dust.

The turtle is presented in the third chapter where it is found walking at its slow and steady pace. Even though there are obstacles along its route, the turtle is not bothered by them and dismisses any problems that it faces and keeps moving toward its destination. It is described as being ever-lasting because it is seen being attacked by a migrating farmer in a truck, "A light truck approached, and as it came near, the driver saw the turtle and swerved...
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