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The Grapes of Wrath Social Contract

The Grapes of Wrath is an award-winning novel written by John Steinbeck. It was originally published during the late 1930s and it is considered one of the best pieces of American literature. The story follows a family during the great depression as they travel together. The book highlights lives of farm workers and their work conditions. The novel provides insight on how a family in miserable circumstances found goodness and strength. The book has created a number of controversies with many loving and hating the contents.

The family in the Grapes of Wrath, the Joads, left the state of Oklahoma and traveled to California in search of work. While on their journey to find work during the Great Depression the family faced hardships that tested their faith toward the Social Contract. This contract was a prominent component in their community and to their family. It showed how well certain aspects were important to their livelihood and how they saw the world around them. This was a significant feat for the family as they were able to stay together keeping their integrity intact. There would be difficult situations the family would face that related to the contract, while showing how well they were able to interact with others.

During the Great Depression many farmers lost their land due to failed crops as a result of dust storms. The Social Contract was a way for people of the time to remain fair to each other and their personal property. During the Joads travels they run into a few people that later on helped put their situation into perspective. They meet kind people along the way but have their share of mishaps. They later learn the farming system in California is corrupt and unfair. For a while the Joads were unable to find work once reaching California and they learn things didn’t seem as green as they thought.

In the end, the family ended up helping quite a few people and other families, despite having troubles of their own. This aspect is similar to what many people deal with in real life. The Social Contract was like a binding agent for how to stay respectful and fair to others no matter how bad things were. Some people wondered why the book ended the way it did with a woman breastfeeding a grown man. There are different reasons people have behind why the author did this and whether it has a connection to the Social Contract.