The Grapes of Wrath: Plot Summary (OCR A Level English Literature)

The Grapes of Wrath: Plot Summary

One of the most important things you can do in preparation for the exam is to “know” the plot of The Grapes of Wrath thoroughly. Understanding the plot of the story is vital because it serves as the narrative backbone, allowing you to connect with larger ideas such as themes and characterisation. It will also help you gain confidence in finding the most relevant references to support your response.

Overview

Published in 1939, The Grapes of Wrath tells the story of the Joad family during the Great Depression in Oklahoma. The novel begins with Tom Joad being released from prison on probation. As he journeys home, he meets Jim Casy, a former preacher who has lost his calling. Rejecting organised religion, Casy believes in a universal love for all humanity. Tom invites Casy to join him on his journey home. Upon reaching the abandoned Joad farm, they learn the family has been forced off the land. Tom’s neighbour, Muley Greaves, reveals the family’s plan to move to California for work, prompting Tom and Casy to join them. 

As the Joads prepare for their journey, Casy requests to travel with them and the family agree. Rose of Sharon (called Rosasharn by the characters in the novel), the Joad’s eldest daughter, arrives with her husband Connie. Rosasharn is pregnant and they are also travelling to California with the rest of the family. Despite initial challenges, they set out with Grampa reluctantly drugged to comply. During their first evening on the road, the family stops for a break and they camp next to a migrant couple, the Wilsons, whose car has broken down. They are a gracious couple who offer their tent to shelter Grampa, who is becoming increasingly unwell. He then suffers from a stroke and dies. They decide to bury Grampa where he died to avoid the cost of a proper burial. The family befriends the Wilsons and they travel together. In New Mexico, the Wilsons face car troubles again and Tom suggests that he stay with the car and the rest of the family go ahead. Ma, however, refuses and insists that they stay together. The family complies and fixes the car in order to continue their journey. However, as they reach the outskirts of California, the Wilsons are unable to continue as Sairy Wilson becomes far too unwell. The Joads have no choice but to leave the Wilsons and continue to travel to California.

During the desert crossing, Granma’s health deteriorates quickly and Ma knows she won’t survive. Determined to reach California, Ma keeps the information to herself and lies next to Granma on the truck as she passes away. The Joads reach camp and Granma is buried like a poor person due to financial limitations, which upsets her son. 

The Joads arrive at the first camp, which is a dirty Hooverville of tents and makeshift shelters. Tom and Casy get involved in a fight with the cops: Tom trips an officer and Casy kicks him. When the officer regains consciousness, Casy turns himself in to help Tom as he is on parole and cannot risk being arrested, especially in a different state. The Joads immediately leave the camp in order to avoid any further trouble.

The Joads travel south and arrive at a government-run camp in which the community governs itself and has committees to deal with issues and entertainment. The family are comfortable here, but are still unable to find work, even after a month of looking. They are eventually offered work picking peaches, but the camp gate is surrounded by a large group of men who are shouting and waving. The Joad men are escorted through the gate by state police and begin working immediately. However, they are only paid five cents a box which is not nearly enough to feed the family for a day. After the first day of picking, Tom leaves the ranch and meets Casy, who is leading a strike against the peach orchard owners who want to lower the wage even further. As the two men are talking, Casy is attacked for being the leader of the strike and is killed. In response, Tom begins to beat Casy’s killer. The other men intervene and Tom’s nose is broken in the fight. He manages to escape and hide.

Due to the visible wound on his face, Tom’s involvement in Casy’s death and the subsequent fight is obvious. As a result, his family tries to hide him while his wound heals. The Joads then find work picking cotton and the money means that they are comfortable for a short time. They end up sharing an empty boxcar with another family, the Wainwrights. Meanwhile, Tom is hiding in a nearby cave where his mother leaves him food. Despite a period of comfort, tensions arise again when Tom’s younger sister, Ruthie, has a fight with another child. She mentions her big brother, who is hiding because he killed two men, which draws attention to the Joad family once again. Ma tells Tom that he must leave for his own safety and Tom agrees. He decides to carry on with the social work that Jim Casy had begun.

The rains start to come and the water levels begin to rise. The family start to look for shelter on higher ground but Rose of Sharon, the Joad family’s eldest daughter, goes into labour. As the water threatens to flood the boxcar, the Joad men and the rest of the men at the camp try to build an embankment to block the water from coming inside. However, they are unsuccessful. Rose of Sharon’s premature baby is stillborn.

The rain subsides somewhat and the remaining family try to find higher ground. They find a barn that is already occupied by a young boy and his starving father. The boy tells the Joads that his father has not eaten in days. Rose of Sharon offers her breast milk, which is no longer needed for her own baby, in order to help the starving man and Ma makes the rest of the family leave the barn in order for Rose of Sharon to do this.

Chapter-By-Chapter Plot Summary

Chapter 1 – intercalary chapter

• Oklahoma is experiencing a drought

• The writer describes the land:

  • The earth is crusted and clouds of dust envelope the region

• Midway through June, there was minimal rain but the wind intensified: 

  • Dust hung in the air and people had to walk around with masks and goggles

• When the wind subsided, the men had to survey the damage done to the crops in the field

• The men were focused on trying to deal with the ruined crops, while the women resumed the housework and children continued to play

Chapter 2

• Tom Joad, who has just been released from prison, asks a truck driver for a ride

• The driver probes Tom with questions about himself and his family

• Tom is irritated by the driver’s questions and reveals that he has just been let out on probation for homicide

• Tom then exits the truck when he is near his home and continues on foot

Chapter 3 – Intercalary chapter

• A land turtle moves determinedly through dry ground toward a slanted highway embankment

• The turtle crosses the hot pavement and a speeding car swerves to avoid it

• Shortly after, a truck deliberately hits the turtle, causing it to spin and land on its back

• Despite the setback, the turtle eventually rights itself and crawls down the embankment to continue on its way

Chapter 4

• Tom walks towards his family farm and he removes his shoes and wraps them in his coat due to the heat

• Tom notices the turtle and wraps it in his coat with the intention of gifting it to his younger siblings

• As he walks on, he meets Jim Casy, a former preacher, lying under a tree and singing:

  • Casy tells Tom that he is no longer a preacher as he has sinful thoughts

  • He talks about his love for all human beings over organised religion

• Tom agrees with Casy and they both walk to the Joad farm together

• Upon reaching the farm, they find it deserted and Tom has an uneasy feeling

Chapter 5 – intercalary chapter

• Company representatives inform tenants they must vacate the land due to unprofitable sharecropping

• The bank has bought the land for farming:

  • The representatives avoid taking responsibility, attributing decisions to the bank

• Tenants argue with the representatives and try to highlight the land’s significance to them, but the men are uninterested 

• The next day, a tractor arrives, bulldozing the land

• The tenants recognise the driver as a neighbour’s son, but learn he is motivated by payment from the bank as he needs to take care of his family

• Despite the tenant’s frustration, they are unable to do anything

Chapter 6

• Tom and Casy find the Joad house pulled from its foundations and no family member or note to be found

• There is no sign of looting, which intrigues Tom and indicates that there is a wider issue

• Tom meets his former neighbour, Muley Graves, who reveals that the Joad family has been forced off their land by a tractor:

  • He tells Tom that the Joads are with Uncle John and they are working together to gather money for their journey to California

• Muley tells the men that his whole family have left, but he has chosen to stay behind

• Muley shares his supper and fills the men in on what has been happening

• Tom realises that leaving with his family would violate his parole

• They all spend the night in a cave in order to avoid being found and charged for trespassing

Chapter 7 – Intercalary chapter

• Disadvantaged farmers attempt to sell household goods to finance their journey to California

• Prospects are bleak as they try to buy vehicles from fast-talking salesmen:

  • The salesmen capitalise on the farmers’ desperation, selling them barely running vehicles at inflated prices

• The tenants, aware of the exploitation, have no alternative but to accept the deals

Chapter 8

• Tom and Casy leave for Uncle John’s house at dawn:

  • Pa is surprised to see Tom and his first concern is Tom escaping jail

  • Ma is overjoyed to see Tom, but is worried that prison may have made him mean and bitter

• Tom reunites with more of the family members at breakfast, including Grampa, Granma and Noah

• Tom learns the situation and whereabouts of his other family members

• The family plans to leave for California in a day or two with $150 dollars saved for the trip

Chapter 9 – intercalary chapter

• Tenant people sift through belongings, deciding what to take on the journey west

• Items that can’t be taken are left behind or sold for minimal amounts

• Unaware, buyers acquire not just things but the tenants’ past, toils, passions and bitterness 

• The farmers are suddenly anxious to depart as they know they will be leaving their old life but may not necessarily be beginning a new one

Chapter 10

• Casy asks the family if he can join them on their journey west and the family agrees

• The family hold a meeting and make a plan of what to do

• After the meeting, they frantically prepare everything in order to leave as soon as possible

• Muley sees the family off, but Grampa refuses to leave

• The family put him to sleep with syrup and place him on the truck

• The Joads and Casy pile into the truck, leaving the farm behind as they head westward

Chapter 11 – intercalary chapter

• Dispossessed people leave the Plains, leaving vacant houses of tenant farmers

• The only signs of life are shiny metal sheds housing tractors, which are lifeless

• Eventually, houses deteriorate with broken windows and loosened shingles

• Dust accumulates on the floors, disturbed only by wild animals from the fields

Chapter 12 – intercalary chapter

• Chapter 12 provides a generalised vision of the challenging westward journey made by displaced families

• Route 66 serves as the primary route for those fleeing the harsh conditions of the Dust Bowl

• Thousands of people travel the highway, facing constant fear about their vehicles and depleting finances

• Many become discouraged or run out of money, leading to abandoned cars along the highway

• Despite challenges, some migrants gather faith and strength from fellow travellers

Chapter 13

• Al, Tom’s younger brother, is concerned about possible breakdowns as the truck departs for the journey westward

• At sundown, the family sets up camp and meet a couple, the Wilsons, who are stranded as their car has broken down:

  • The wife, Sairy Wilson, is unwell and very weak

• Grampa suffers a stroke, which is fatal, and he dies almost instantly

• The family, faced with the financial obligations and paperwork that comes with a death, are forced to bury Grampa at the side of the road

• Al and Tom offer to fix the Wilsons’ car and the families decide to travel together and share vehicles as the Joad’s truck is overly full

• Initially reluctant, the Wilsons agree after Ma convinces them it’s better to work together

Chapter 14 – intercalary chapter

• The United States is uneasy as changes unfold

• The owners of land try to blame the changes on obvious issues such as a changing market and new taxes as they are afraid

• However, they are unaware that these changes result from the circumstances the migrant farmers are faced with, such as extreme poverty, which will drive them to push for change

• Steinbeck is highlighting how the ability to unite and strive for good is humanity’s greatest asset and is something that the greedy landowners cannot see

Chapter 15 – intercalary chapter

• Hamburger stands and diners line Route 66

• In one particular diner, there is a male who cooks in the kitchen and a talkative woman named Mae is behind the counter serving customers

• In the diner, travellers irritate Mae by wasting napkins, complaining and not buying anything of significance

• Two truck drivers share a story of a reckless driver causing an accident involving a truck full of household goods and children

• Another man with two young boys enters and asks for 10 cents worth of bread as they are on a tight budget heading to California

• Initially reluctant, Mae eventually gives them the bread after Al intervenes

• The man buys peppermint candy for the children after Mae reduces the price, and the truckers notice Mae’s kindness and leave a generous tip

Chapter 16

• The Wilsons and Joads travel through the Panhandle, leaving Oklahoma and crossing Texas

• A broken car part forces the Joads to stop for repairs and Tom suggests that the family go ahead to California while he and Casy fix the car

• Ma grows angry at this suggestion and refuses to leave, threatening to beat anyone who tries to split up the family

• The men concede and Al takes the family to a camp while Tom and Casy work on the car

• The car is fixed and they reunite with the family at the camp, but Tom refuses to pay the camp fee

• Pa hears a stranger’s tragic story about his family starving to death in California

• Tom, Uncle John and Casy sleep on the road rather than the camp

Chapter 17 – Intercalary chapter

• Migrant families travelling west create their own communities on the road

• Initially, one family camps alongside the road, which eventually grows into a community of 20 families

• Communities establish rules, laws, punishments and social expectations

• Each person in the community has certain rights, including the right to food and privacy

• In the morning, families pack up and continue their journey to California

Chapter 18

• The Joad family arrives in California and camps alongside the Colorado river

• Tom and the men consider crossing the desert that night, but Pa is worried about money and wants to find work quickly

• A man returning from California warns them of hardships, including unplanted fertile ground, job scarcity and hostility from the locals who derogatorily call them “Okies”

• Noah tells Tom he won't be going to California and will follow the river to fish

• A local authority warns them to leave by morning, prompting an angry confrontation with Ma

• To avoid trouble, the family decides to move on immediately, leaving the Wilsons behind

• During the night drive across the desert, Ma begs agricultural inspectors to let them pass, explaining Granma’s condition

• Later on in the journey, Ma reveals that Granma had died before the inspection

Chapter 19 – intercalary chapter

• Initial American settlers in California were motivated by a hunger for land, displacing Mexican natives and transforming from squatters to owners

• Over time, farming became an industry and was measured by monetary success

• To weaken the strength of migrant workers, owners issued laws against small-scale farming and charged individuals with trespassing

• Squatters’ camps, known as “Hoovervilles”, were closed and burned under the pretext of being a threat to public health

• Children in Hoovervilles suffered from hunger-related deaths while their parents, initially praying for food, eventually transitioned to taking action

• The chapter implies that when the parents’ mindsets shifted from prayer to action, it signalled the impending downfall of the landowners

Chapter 20

• The family takes Granma’s body to the Bakersfield coroner, with only five dollars for her burial

• They settle in a tent camp on the outskirts of town, where they meet Floyd Knowles:

  • Floyd explains the risk of arrest for anyone seen leading a group of workers

  • Those who speak out may be killed and listed as a “vagrant found dead”

• Casy decides to move on to avoid burdening the Joads, but Tom asks him to stay

• A contractor offers jobs picking fruit in Tulare, but Floyd insists on written agreements and proof of the contractor’s licence

• An argument ensues, with the contractor accusing Floyd of theft, and the altercation becomes violent

• Casy intervenes and takes the blame in order to protect Tom while Tom hides

• The family hears that the Hooverville will be burned that night, a common tactic to displace and divide people

• The family decides to go to the government camp at Weedpatch, but on the way they are stopped by cops instructing them to go north to Tulare

• They change course toward Weedpatch, leaving behind them the burning Hooverville

Chapter 21 – intercalary chapter

• Endless streams of agrarian people, pushed off their land by machines, move westward in search of fertile fields

• The townspeople in the towns they enter are frightened, as these nomads are desperate for work to fill their families’ empty stomachs

• The great owners of fields also buy canneries, underbidding small farmers and forcing them to ruin and go hungry

• The great owners believe that they can take advantage of the desperate people, not realising the thin line between hunger and anger

Chapter 22

• The Joads move to a government camp with elected officials, with laws and punishments decided by the community

• Tom is invited to work with neighbours Timothy and Wilkie Wallace, but their wages are lowered due to the owner’s crop loan concerns

• The owner warns of potential trouble instigated by the Farmers’ Association during a government camp dance

• The camp manager is kind and welcoming, putting Ma at ease among her own kind of people 

• The Joad men return without finding work, leading Ma to reflect on the family’s hardships and losses in Oklahoma

Chapter 23 – Intercalary chapter

• Migrant people seek pleasures alongside their search for food and work

• They share stories, some fictional and others from movies, providing a form of entertainment and escapism

• Those with some money may turn to alcohol to numb the pain of their difficult circumstances

• Music plays a significant role, with harmonicas, guitars and fiddles creating bands and inspiring dances

• Young people dance to release energy, while older community members engage by clapping and tapping their toes

• The evening concludes with young dancers pairing off and venturing into the darkness

Chapter 24

• The camp prepares for an evening dance, and the Central Committee discusses strategies to prevent trouble from the Farmers’ Association 

• Tom is recruited by the committee to help maintain order and prevent any altercations that could lead to camp closure

• At the gate, Tom and a character named Jule spot three suspicious men entering the camp

• The men attempt to start a fight on the dance floor, but the entertainment committee forms a wall around them and escorts them out without physical harm

• The men are recognised as migrants and Mr Huston wonders why they turned against their fellow workers

Chapter 25 – intercalary chapter

• The California land is fertile, producing abundant crops through the efforts and ingenuity of many men

• Growers work to improve techniques for yielding succulent fruit, while chemists experiment with pesticides to protect crops

• Large landowners drive down the price of labour, making it difficult for small farmers to afford to harvest their land

• Small farmers are forced to turn their holdings over to great companies, unable to reap the fruits of their labour

• Excess food that cannot be gathered is intentionally destroyed to prevent a decline in store prices

• Hungry people watch as crops are burned, leading to growing anger among the affected population

Chapter 26

• The Joad family, having spent a month in Weedpatch camp without finding work, decides to leave in search of employment

• Ma takes on a leadership role, intentionally goading Pa to keep him focused and keep the family together

• The family fixes a flat tire and a well-dressed man offers them work as peach pickers at Hooper Ranch

• As the family enter the ranch, hostile crowds are outside and the family begin picking fruit for five cents a box

• Tom learns from Casy, who is staying at a roadside camp, about a strike at Hooper Ranch due to lowered wages:

  • Casy explains the strike to Tom and emphasises the importance of group action against unfair conditions

• Tom witnesses Casy being killed by a group of men for his involvement in the strike:

  • Tom retaliates, beating Casy’s killer, but escapes with a broken nose

• The strike is broken and the wage for picking fruit has been lowered to 2 and a half cents per box

• Tom, who is now being hunted and in fear of being lynched, hides in the truck as the family leaves the ranch in the dark

• The family heads north, planning to pick cotton and stay in boxcars

Chapter 27 – intercalary chapter

• The need for cotton pickers is announced, and even those without a bag can buy one and pay for it with their pickings

• Many migrants find comfort in picking cotton, recalling memories of home

• The fairness of the scales used for weighing the cotton varies

• Overall, workers are paid a decent wage and at the end of the day, they can provide meal for their families

Chapter 28

• The Joads secure work picking cotton and live in a boxcar with another family, the Wainwrights

• With their earnings, the Joads can afford meat and some treats for the children

• Winfield tells Ma that Ruthie boasted about Tom hiding because he killed two men, which concerns Ma

• Tom believes in standing together, seeing himself as part of a greater soul

  • He plans to continue Casy’s work and assures Ma he’ll be present in fights for justice

• Ma worries about Tom’s safety, but he is determined to carry on Casy’s philosophy

• Returning to the boxcar, the Wainwrights express concerns about Al and their daughter:

  • Aggie and Al announce their intention to get married and both families celebrate

• The next morning, the families head to the cotton fields for the last work of the season

Chapter 29 – intercalary chapter

• Grey clouds bring heavy rain, causing floods as the earth can no longer absorb water

• The rising waters strand cars and destroy fields, leaving migrant workers without jobs

• Migrants are ineligible for government relief due to not residing in the state for a year

• With no work and weakened by hunger, some turn to begging and stealing, raising fear among townspeople

• When the rain stops, men gather, and fear turns to anger

• The women observe the change in men, realising that anger strengthens them and prevents them from breaking

Chapter 30

• Pa and Uncle John seek help to build an embankment to prevent flooding of the boxcars

• Rosasharn (Rose of Sharon) goes into labour, prompting Pa to urgently request support for the embankment due to her situation

• Men work tirelessly through the night, but a falling tree damages the embankment, flooding the area

• Cars are surrounded by water, leaving the Joads and others stranded and dejected

• Rosasharn’s baby is stillborn due to lack of food and the family spends the night on a platform to avoid flooding

• In the morning, they decide to leave for higher ground, leaving Al with Aggie and the Wainwrights

• Ma, Pa and Uncle John, with Rosasharn, Winfield and Ruthie, trek along the flooded road and seek shelter in an old barn

• Inside the barn, they find a dying man and his son

• Rosasharn, after a silent agreement with Ma, breastfeeds the dying man while everyone else is outside

Next topic