Dusty Bowl Pt. 2

Last time, the book introduced the world to Tom Joad. He got out of prison and now he and his family are heading out west to California. Why? They want to get out of their misery in the countryside of Oklahoma to the promise land of California. However, the family has experienced some hardships. Ma and Pa have shown this the most. Ma started out as humble and hopeful, but after granpa and granma, and Noah abandons the family, she just falls to pieces and loses hope. Pg. 229 says, “‘The fambly hadda get acrost,’ Ma said miserably. Tom moved close to put his hand on her shoulder. ‘Don’ touch me,’ she said. ‘I hol’ up if you don’ touch me. That’d get me.’” Pa seems to have lost some hope due to the tragedies around them. A man tells him that his wife and children starved to death because he tried to find work for them in California. That worries Pa. It says on pg. 191, “Pa said, ‘S’pose he’s tellin’ the truth—that fella?’” There seem to be some tough times here now. The readers hope they will make it together to California.