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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Chapter 16, the narrator says of the Joads and Wilsons, "Two days the families were in flight, but on the third the land was too huge for them and they settled into a new technique of living; the highways became their home and movement their medium of" what (164)?

2. Jim Casy says in Chapter 18, "I ain't tryin' to preach no sermon, but I never seen nobody that's busy as a prairie dog collectin' stuff that wasn't" what (207)?

3. Who is described as "bull-simple" at the migrant camp in Chapter 20 (244)?

4. Who in the migrant camps generally are responsible for pitching the tents and bringing down the beds, according to the narrator in Chapter 17?

5. Where does one of the tenants at Weedpatch describe the employees from the rubber companies going unionized in Chapter 24?

Short Essay Questions

1. What cruelty does the narrator describe in Chapter 25?

2. What leads to Jim's death and Tom's flight in Chapter 26?

3. What are Al's objectives at the Weedpatch camp's Saturday dance?

4. How does the narrator describe California's history in Chapter 19?

5. Who is Floyd Knowles and why is he almost killed?

6. What are Rose of Sharon's hopes for the new land in California in Chapter 16?

7. How is the plot of the law enforcement thwarted in Chapter 24?

8. Why do the Joads leave the Weedpatch camp? Where do they go next?

9. How do the migrant societies entertain themselves, according to the narrator in Chapter 23?

10. Who are the Joads' neighbors in Chapter 28? How are they described?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the settings of "Hoovervilles" across California. Why were these camps given that name? How is the Hooverville described that the Joads encounter in Bakersfield? What are their perceptions of the camp?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the character of Al Joad. How old is Al? What are Al's main objectives in the novel? Whom does Al marry and how does his character change in the course of the story?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the themes of family and community in The Grapes of Wrath. What are the meanings and importance of family and community to the characters in the novel? What are the benefits of community? What are the drawbacks?

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