The Grapes of Wrath definitely reflects history of its time period. This book is historical fiction (Enotes).
You can tell the time period truly represents history as you read.
For example, during this time period in the area that the book took place, money was tight. Jobs were hard to get and even harder to keep. That makes keeping your house, farm, and children harder than it already is. Getting food was very hard, as expressed in this novel. Food was scarce during this time period.
Another example is their way of work. Nowadays, a lot of people's jobs involve sitting in an office. Back when this book was written, the majority of work was manual labor on farms or in shops. This was truly expressed in this novel.
The characters and the detailed story are made up, but the places and general story are the same. For example, there may not have been a Joad family, but there were families in the Joad's position. The Dust Bowl really did kill the crops of many farmers and make them move to California. A lot of families went through what Steinbeck and DeMott wrote about the Joad family. When you are aware that the story is based off a true story, it is easier to connect. You realize how hard it was for the characters in the novel, and instead of just shrugging it off, you think about how people actually went through that. The reader also thinks about how lucky they are to have the life that they have.
Through the hardships, such as when the tractor comes and they have to leave, the reader can feel the emotions of the characters. It is as if the reader is also part of the family and is mad at the bank as well. The reader wants the Joads to be happy and live a good life, just like they do. It is really amazing how the authors wrote this book so that the reader can feel everything the characters felt.
"Wouldn't the Grapes of Wrath Be Considered Nonfiction? - The Grapes of Wrath - Questions & Answers." ENotes - Literature Study Guides, Lesson Plans, and More. Web. 21 Aug. 2011. .
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