GOW: It's all over

Free write:
Reactions! It's over. Thoughts? Insights? What did you take away from the novel?


Discussion

1. What do the boxcars provide besides shelter?

2. In hiding, what decision does Tom make? How does Ma feel about that? What conclusion does Ma reach about the family? And what keeps them from giving up?

3. Ma articulates a big difference between men and women (see p. 423). Firstly, put her ideas into your own words and, secondly, what are your thoughts on her observations?
4. p. 432: Opening paragraph -- lets collect some verbs & images
5. Lots of talk about anger. What must be done with anger in order to overcome fear?
6. Steinbeck said, "I've done my damndest to rip the reader's nerves to rages; I don't want him satisfied." Did he succeed in doing that to you? If so, how did he accomplish it? If not, why weren't you affected in that way?

GOW: 27 & 28

Free write: The Joads have been displaced many times. They lost their land, their home, and now they are slowly losing their family unit.  Selecting only ONE Joad, answer the following question: In what way has displacement specifically affected your selected character? You want to think literally and figuratively. And you'll surely want to use the text to support your ideas.

Goal — Outline
1. Thesis (concise, arguable, unique)
2. Evidence (2-3 pieces)
3. How does the evidence support your thesis?

GOW: Chpts. 25 & 26ish

Let's get creative

The Joads have left Weedpatch Camp. Life in the comfortable community is over, and things are going to get difficult. But somewhere in a moment of quiet, in a moment of solitude, each Joad has written a letter. Maybe the letter is to Muley Graves. Maybe it's a letter from Rose of Sharon to Connie. Maybe it's a letter to the land. Maybe it's a letter from Winfield to Noah. You get the idea. Regardless, your assignment is to 1. select a Joad from which to write a letter and 2. select a recipient of such a letter. And then ...

Guidelines

1. The letter must contain at least FIVE specific pieces of textual evidence about the journey and life thus far.

2. The letter must accurately capture the tone and mindset of the writer.

3. The letter must be in proper letter form (i.e. salutation, paragraphing, concluding sentiment, signature line, etc)

GOW: Chpts 22, 23, 24

Free write: The Joad family shows ignorance to many modern conveniences (toilets, showers, etc) and ideas (unions). Reflect on a time when you were ignorant to either a modern convenience or product or idea. What did this ignorance teach you about yourself? Those around you? Who enlightened you? How could ignorance lead to struggles later on in life?

Let's check out Weed Patch.

Discussion
1. In what ways does Mr. Thomas represent the dilemma of the small farmer?
2. What do the events in Chpt 22 say about religion, charity and hard word? Who and what are the "reds"?
3. What role does order, dignity, and pleasure play in the lives of the migrants? Why are the locals trying to strip these things from the migrants' lives?

GOW: Chpts 20 & 21

Free write:
Jim Casy sacrifices himself for the betterment of the Joad family. Think about a time when you had to sacrifice your own personal well-being for the well-being of someone else. How did you feel about making this sacrifice? How did the sacrifice change you? How did other people respond to your choice?

Discussion Questions:
1. Modern day Joad dilemma
2. What does Casy's attack on the deputy reveal about his character?
3. Why is Uncle John so upset? What does his response to his emotions tell us about his character?
4. What does Ma mean when she says, "Why, Tom — us people will go on livin' when all them people is gone. Why, Tom, we're the people that live. They ain't gonna wipe us out. Why, we're the people — we go on" (280).
5. There's a lot of change talked about in Chapter 21. Taking an educated yet totally unsupported guess, in what way do you think the migrants and the Joads will be changed? (be as specific as possible)

Character Check-ins:
As time permits, let's add to the character lists.

GOW: 1/2 18 & 19 — Part 2 is done!

Free write:
1. How have the Joads been tested? How does their faith/hope survive?
2. What do you think of when you hear the phrase Promised Land? What have the Joads expected of their promised land? Has the idea of a promised land blinded the Joads in any way?
3. What character has been the strongest teacher/leader? Has any character emerged as a savior of any kind?

Bible & The Grapes of Wrath

Character Groups: What did we learn about your character during this journey?

Discussion:
1. p. 233: let's look at the use of the word Okie and how the narrator, a person we assume sides with the migrant worker, is able to turn the word around into something powerful instead of a slur of weakness.

GOW: Chpts 17 & 1/2 18

Free write: There are the Okies and the native Californians. There are the migrants, those who were migrants (beaten down by the false promises and now returning to their land), and others. Society as the Joads know it is fractured and filled with us and thems, insiders and outsiders, the others.

Like the Joads, we all have felt on the inside and on the outside. Reflect on and write about a time when you were"the other", the outsider. Who put you there? How did it feel? In contrast, reflect on and write about a time when you "othered" some one. Why did you push someone to the outside? In reflection, how do you feel about your actions?

Discussion Questions:

1. What effect does the nightly camping have on the people heading for California? How does it give them strength and power? In what way does the night camp influence the identity of the migrant people?

2. What is the Joads' first view of California? What impressions of California do the father and son from the Panhandle provide?

20-30 minutes of in-class reading