Free Custom «The Octopus and Grapes of Wrath» Essay Paper

History of CaliforniaIn the story The Octopus, Frank Norris describes the Pacific and Southwestern Railroad square such that we see it as though it is a reality. The reality of the Southern Pacific Railroad comes out clearly from the start of the book because we meet the construction trying to grab the land of the farmers away. We meet the European explores moving into California for manpower and raw materials for their production and ready market for their products. When the Europeans first get to California, they do exactly what Norris vividly explains. They explore the Californian coast before they do anything, at this time they are very friendly to the people and they are easily welcomed to the land. This time in the story is just same with the period and setting of the story. After the Europeans noted the richness of the Californian land they had great need to construct the railway line that could aid in transporting their business goods. This indeed dates to the existent of the greatThis is what exactly happens in the Californian history!The San Joaquin Valley farmers become very sympathetic after the Europeans make their land as their own settlements. They are given warning and authorized to vacate within a given date of time. This make them become very desperate and a group to sympathize with. It first seems tricky because as these colonizers come, they pretend to be missionaries and later other of their colleagues come to make them their subjects. The farmers are removed from their own farms, chased away and converted . Due to the availability of gold in California, the base became a major center for slavery. "A type of slavery existed among the native peoples of the California region long before the arrival of Europeans colonists." diversion of water from the rivers even made the Californians more desperate as they could not get the water to irrigate their farms. This might have been a cause to making them work as slaves because they had nowhere to get food and other basic needs. Those who were not able to provide the labor were killed or chased away to the environments that could not support or keep them alive.In the two books, the authors are in deed showing how the farmers were affected by the railroad and highway transport system. First, they were displaced. This was to enable the Europeans have a place to construct the railway line. They too had to offer labor during the construction of the railway line. This they did with either no pay or very little pay that could not provided them with the daily needs that humans cannot do without.

 

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The Joads were longtime displaced people who thought that the Europeans had perished and therefore they wanted to get back to their mother lands.

"Much like the turtle from chapter three, the Joads had to face many great hardships in their travels. The planes of Oklahoma, with their harsh summer weather, were the Joads desolated highways. The truck driver represented the Californians, who Buried food and killed livestock to keep the Joads and others like them away from their dream. And their ants and hills were sickness. Even through all of this, the Joads persevered. They were driven by two great motivating powers, poverty and hunger. Just as the turtle searched for food, the Joads were searching for paradise, "The Garden of Eden."

The Joads had a rough journey but they had to travel because they were really hopeful of finding the life they had dreamt of back from their mother land. They were anticipating to find jobs, which they could do for pay and they were also hoping to engage in businesses such as in gold mining, and slavery. But surprisingly this is not what they find in California. They find the place dry and horrible as there was no food nor shelter that they could settle in. "The Joads were searching for serenity of family life... wanted a little white house with enough food for all." (Bary 17). however, when we closely read in between the lines, we find that everybody wanted to find own pleasures. For instance grandma wanted to be with the family while grandpa dreamt of oranges.In both novels, the story blends so well with the history on California. First, the period of the events that occur in the two stories are exactly the same event that take place in the Californian land. Right from the beginning, we start the two stories at the same date that the Europeans come to California. The setting of the stories too takes places at the same place where real events like slavery, construction of railway lines and highways. The two authors can be seen to have discussed and decided to write on the same story!

On keenly reading the two books, the exploited in the Octopus are the exploiters in the grapes of Wrath. The experience they gained is what the have used to exploit their brothers after coming back to find natives in what they called where they had been chased away from. They decided to torture them assuming that these were the same people who chased them away. However, there is no prove that the exploited of the octopus are the exploiters of the grapes of wrath.So many things appear to be common in the two books. First, the exploitation and discrimination that occur between two different parties. Then the period in which the books are written is almost the same. The setting of the two books is similar. In fact on closer look and critical reading simultaneously, one could think that is reading a same story. All the same it can be concluded that the writers were trying to figure out the history of California and they came out successful. We can also look at the various styles they have used to describe the events in their stories. Vivid description and metaphors have been widely used just as most writers use them when they want a clear picture of an event or occurrence to stick to the readers mind.Distinctively, the two books' come out clearly to describe the side effects of accumulation of wealth. First, where wealth is accumulated, seems to be attraction zone for everyone. Once they get to the place, it starts to get kind of overpopulated and finally becomes a desert. In other words, the place has a great environmental hazards just like the case of California. The other issue that arise is superiority complex where people feel they can dominate everything and no one else can do better than then. This finally leads to a spirit that whenever you see a junior coming up, you arise and shut the fellow down!