In The Grapes of Wrath what is the symbolic value of the desert?

Answer 1

The phrase, "grapes of wrath," is taken from the Battle Hymn of the Republic, a poem published by Julia Ward Howe in 1862. The poem was set to music and became the rallying cry of union forces during the Civil War, and it is a well known song even today. The phrase, "grapes of wrath," appears in the very first stanza of Howe's poem:

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord:

He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;

He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:

His truth is marching on

Howe was alluding to the Biblical use of the winepress as a symbol of vengeance and justice. See, e.g., Isaiah 63:2-4; Lamentations 1:15. The grape itself is a positive symbol in the Bible, for the grape is one of the seven types of fruits and grains enumerated in Deuteronomy 8 as being special products of the land of Israel. Deuteronomy 8:7-9. Thus, the grapevine became a symbol of the nation of Israel, which God planted in Palestine. Psalms 80:8-13. But because of its rebellion, Israel came to be characterized as a wild vine. Jeremiah 2:21. Thus, God promised to trample out the vintage - i.e., to sift the hearts of men and punish the wicked.

In the New Testament, the grapevine became a symbol of both Christ's sacrifice and the kingdom of heaven. Luke 22:20; Matthew 20:1-16. In the final stanza of her poem, which is now rarely ever sung with the rest of the song, Howe specifically calls on union soldiers to die "to make men free."

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,

With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me:

As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,

While God is marching on.

In the next to the last stanza, Howe penned two lines that might shed some light on the symbolism in Steinbeck's novel:

He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat.

Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet

Thus, Steinbeck's choice of the phrase "Grapes of Wrath" as his title suggests that he was calling on his fellow Americans to fight the injustice he described in the novel.

Robert Leslie Palmer

Birmingham, Alabama

Answer 2

In "The Grapes of Wrath," the desert symbolizes both the harshness of the natural world and the struggles faced by the migrants in search of a better life. It represents a barren and unforgiving landscape that challenges the Joad family's endurance and resilience as they navigate their way to California. The desert also serves as a metaphor for the desolation and hopelessness experienced during the Great Depression.