Summary+Ch.24

Summary of Chapter 24:

In Chapter twenty-four, the Joad family is still at the new camp. It is a Saturday and they are invited to attend the camp dance. In an earlier chapter the camp’s Central Committee receives a warning that the Farmers Association is planning to go to the camp during the dance to cause a fight so that the camp will be broken up. To prepare for the possible interruption extra members are added to the committee including Tom. Several people are put to stand guard at the front gate. All the while, the other members of the camp are starting to get ready. All the children were excited and people were running around getting there nice clothes washed. First the young children bathed, then the men took baths, after the returned from work (those that had jobs). When the younger children went to the dance Ma and Rose of Sharon cleaned up the dishes. Rose of Sharon told her mother she didn’t want to go to the dance because she didn’t want people to look at her. She said she was too lonely because Connie was not there. Ma convinces her to go by telling her that she would sit with her and make sure no one touched her and if people asked her to dance Ma would tell them that she was not well. Pa returns unsuccessful from another day of trying to get a job. He says that he was late because the place already got two guys. At the dance Tom keeps watch for any people that might not belong. Willie Eaton introduces Tom to a guy named Jule Vitela who is helping Tom look for any people who might be causing trouble. After a while Jule and Tom see three working men who looked scared. After they spot the three men and check to make sure no one invited them a young boy came and told some of the committee members that he saw a car parked down the street with six men who had guns. To keep up the happiness of the dance the men told everyone to pick partners for the dance. Two men got in an argument over a girl who they both said was there dance partner. Then the car with the six men pulled up to the gate and said to let them in because they were sheriffs and they heard there was a riot. The man at the front told him there were no riots and that it was just excited people at the dance.