On the Grapes of Wrath: A Sense of Community and 2010

Having never read the novel before this evening, I had no idea of what to expect when showing up to see the film and discuss the questions posed and the possibilities of ideas for the Builder's Association. My general impression was based on several brief descriptions that I had read on the internet, asked friends and roommates about, and figured out through notes given by both the Builder's Association and the Humanities department. The difference was remarkable, in that the very development and emotions of the characters cannot be defined by a general definition of the book. And I also learned that the end of the novel is drastically different from the end of the movie; however, under observation I noticed that between the breast feeding a hungry man in the novel and continuing to plug on in the movie, the words that Ma says at the end ("They can't wipe us out. They can't lick us. We'll go on forever, Pa, cos we're the people") seems to resonate in both--as was stated in our discussion. The novel more so addressed the central theme throughout the book.

Community and gender were other aspects that were particularly interesting about the content of the story: the relations between the men and the women--and it was also mentioned that there was a very feminist viewpoint in the novel, which without reading the book, I can come to terms with with Ma, who is a dominating character in both. The Builder's Association will definitely have a challenge on their hands when trying to reproduce this masterpiece in present day. Such things as culture, community, technology, relationships, generations and families, and historical appeal, will play a large part in trying to develop and shape this story--as mentioned by another member of the viewing audience. And it is my belief that the most challenging part of this feat will be community: because our community compared to the late 1930s and early 1940s is drastically different. The technological age has affected our generations and created an environment where personal confrontations are uncommon, even frightening. Our sprawling communities and dying sense of unity complicate how Road Trip will be able to interact with the communities that they come across and the people that they meet.

How exactly will the Association accomplish it? I definitely recommend developing dynamic characters that, like Steinbeck's, interact not only with their fellow characters, but also with the surrounding plot line and environment. The characters, more than the scenery, will be the key to developing Grapes of Wrath in 2010.