Grapes Of Wrath By Steinbeck (389 words) Essay Example For Students

Grapes Of Wrath By Steinbeck (389 words) Essay Grapes Of Wrath By SteinbeckAuthors often use many styles and techniques in their novels. They use certainmethods in order to make their stories seem more real. John Steinbeck uses manyliterary techniques in The Grapes of Wrath to help the reader better understandthe story. The interchapters in The Grapes of Wrath often foreshadow the regularchapters. They are more of a general picture as to what went on during that timeperiod in America. The regular chapters are meant to represent a specificfamily, the Joads, and document their journey to California and usually theinterchapters have something to do with the story line of the Joadsadventures. The interchapters became predictable as the story progressed, andafter awhile the two different types of chapters gave the story a rhythmicalpattern. John Steinbeck uses a certain dialect throughout the whole story whichmakes the reader see how people talked during that time period. This also aidsthe reader in feeling like they are part of the story, and it helps him tounderstand the way things were back then. Many slang words and phrases typicalof the early 1900s are used to make the conversations true to life. Forinstance, in the first chapter at the roadside diner, the conversation betweenthe customer and the waitress right away tell the reader the kind of dialectthat will be used during the story. Steinbeck has a very distinctive style ofwriting. He uses many descriptive phrases and words to help give the reader aclear picture as to what is happening in the story. His use of alliteration andrepetition makes the sentences and paragraphs easier to follow because of therhythm and flow that is added to them. Steinbeck uses symbolism in order to showthe importance of some ideals and main themes of the novel. For example, theturtle that was walking across the road represents the long, treacherousjourneys that many families took to get to California. The dust that settledover the crops symbolizes the harshness that fell over the many farms, thereforeforcing the people off of the land. Rose of Sharons stillborn baby shows thereader that long, painful journeys, filled with many problems along the way,sometimes amount to nothing in the end. In order to understand the story and itsmany hidden meanings, the reader must pick up on Steinbecks style of writing.These writing techniques of Steinbeck aid the reader in his analysis of TheGrapes of Wrath.