Book Proposal- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Book Summary:
In the Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, the main character, Tom Joad, is released from prison and must hitchhike home. On his way home, Tom meets Jim Casy and together they journey to the Joad home in search of Tom‘s family. When they arrive at the Joad farm, they find it abandoned and learn from a neighbor that the Joads had lost their land and are on their way to California to find work.
Tom and Casy meet up with the Joads as they are preparing to sell all of their belongings and begin their journey to California. After deciding to take Casy along with them, the Joads begin their journey. Their trip is difficult but the belief that they will find work in California keeps the family going. By the time the Joads reach a government camp they have lost several members of their group, from death or abandonment. When work again runs out, the Joads must leave the government camp. A fight and the death of a deputy forces Tom to go into hiding, but his location is eventually discovered and he must again go on the run. A flooded stream forces the remaining family members to take shelter in a barn where the family meets a man and his son who have also taken shelter.
Writing Prompts:
Based on a work of literature with historical significance write an essay in which you analyze how the author crafts the text to reveal their view of United States culture at the time of the work.
Write a thoughtful and well constructed essay in which you use specific evidence to defend, challenge or qualify the assertion that exploitation has the capacity to “ruin” society.
Date of Completion: On or before November 30, 2007.
Relevance to the AP English Language course:
The AP English Language course is intended to teach students how to read texts from a variety of different time periods and in a variety of different styles. The Grapes of Wrath fulfills this requirement because it significant historical significance. It was written based on research done by John Steinbeck about the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s. The Grapes of Wrath also applies to the AP English Language curriculum in that it is a complex story in which not only is a tragic tale told, but a moral vision is uncovered. In the Grapes of Wrath, like other texts of literary merit, it will be possible for the reader to study the linguistics John Steinbeck uses and how his choices highlight his style of writing. Where the AP English Language Exam is concerned, many of the passages located in the essay portion of the test are documents of historical significance. Reading novels which have a significant historical relevance, like Grapes of Wrath, will help the student to prepare for similar material which will be found on the exam.