discussion+questions

What is the effect of Steinbeck’s use of intercalary chapters?

Steinbeck uses intercalary chapters in order to expand to make his novel more universal. The book mostly is emphasized on the Joads, and their journey to California. The intercalary chapters allow us to see how the experiences of the Joads can be related to the other families that are involved in this novel. The intercalary chapters make the novel more universal because it not only focuses on only a certain number of people, but they also focus on those people who are not major characters. The ways that these chapters are written allow the reader to see what is occurring in the novel.

Why do the local people fear the migrants? What is a Hooverville? How did a Hooverville get its name?

The locals fear the migrants because they think that they are full of corruption and greed. They think that the migrants are going to take over all of the jobs, and take ownership of all the property. A fear in the lack of jobs, property, and wages is what caused the locals to form groups in order to try to scare the migrants away. A Hooverville is a village in which the living conditions were not very good, and where a lot of people lived due to the temporary housing. The term Hooverville first started to be used because of the lack of aid that this president had to offer during the depression. He did not help these people, and these people decided to live in groups. They were all poor, and they all did not receive the help that they needed from Hoover.