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How Does Steinbeck Use Of The Intercalary Chapters In The Grapes Of Wrath

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The use of the intercalary chapters in The Grapes of Wrath allows readers to view the lives and hardships of all migrant workers as a whole as the chapters are written without names to keep it universal. This piece of dialogue is drawn from an intercalary chapter, and this dialogue is between a family man and a tractor driver. The consensus of this paragraph is that "maybe there's nobody to shoot" because "maybe the thing isn't men at all." The two speakers are trying to place blame on other, non-living things, like the tractors or "the property" itself. All together, this dialogue creates a universal conversation between a farmer and a tractor driver, both trying to make a living for themselves in time …show more content…

This paragraph asks readers to "listen" as it addresses them in second person. The use of "your" invites readers to feel as if they are a part of the story, which is very effective. This use of second person truly effective because Steinbeck is writing towards and audience of migrant workers that are experiencing the same hardships as the migrant workers in the book; the use of second person creates a more personal touch. Additionally, he places some onomatopoeias, including "rattle" and "thudding," to further draw readers in by appealing to their sense of hearing.

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Often in The Grapes of Wrath, the farmers try to place the blame for their loss of land on the tractors and other irrelevant things. This statement from the text personifies tractors as "snubnosed monsters" that stick "their snouts into" the farmers' land. The farmers are actually being attacked by the great owners, but this personification of the tractors creates a desperate, accusatory, and almost angry tone. The farmers are angry at the tractors and tractor drivers, but they should actually the real problem, the great owners.

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