Throughout the novel the Joad family has been moving along on their quest for a better life, not once have they stopped moving until now. They have hit many obstacles along the way; pessimistic people who are coming from California with stories of hopelessness, members of the family running off either by choice or because it was what needed to be done,and finally, reaching California after weeks of traveling only to find that everyone is hungry and that there is little work and scarce amounts of food.
They have made the choice to stop in what's called a government camp. The only sign of hope in the entire state.There are toilets, washtubs, and nice welcoming people just like them. The Joads have chosen to stay because they are running out of money quickly and they can work around the camp to pay for the basic costs of living by contributing to the community. The best part about the government camp is that it is run by the people and police officers are not allowed in the camp without a warrant.
The Joads are taking life one day at a time and have yet to lose their faith. Things are looking up for the family and they are beginning to feel like human beings again. Showers are a part of their everyday lives and they have a stable place to rest their heads at night. Throughout their journey they have lost many things including people but they have gained a new found sense of what is truly important "fambly" and sticking together.
The camp is a welcoming site for everyone. It is a much needed break for the Joads. The only problem is that there still is no work, except for Toms job, and that only lasted a week. Hopefully they can all find jobs soon. Ma seems to understand the situation though and will help the family get through,by sticking together.
ReplyDeleteSolid summary, Bridget--can you push more towards analysis/critique? Why do you think the Weedpatch camp is so important for the Joads--and for the novel?
ReplyDeleteI can see the camp being a symbol of what could be if the people pull together. Sometimes temporary things give one a taste of something better, so a person does not become complacent with what he/she has in a current situation.
ReplyDeleteCould the camp be a symbol of the Joad's "promise land"? Even though it is technically not the ideal place to live, neither was the "promise land" for the Jewish slaves that were freed from Egypt. In order to make it their "promise land" they had to work with it and make it their own in order to make it home. I think that is what the Joad's did with the government camp.
ReplyDelete