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PreAP English
Writing Examples to be Emulated from Grapes of Wrath
Analysis: Some examples from student essays:
In order for Steinbeck to make as much impact on the reader as possible, he cannot simply state the facts
of the results of capitalism and the hardships of migrants; he must change something within the reader
emotionally. He must force the reader essentially to experience an epiphany of societal views to where they
are so strongly connected to the sorrow of the characters in his literary work that they have no other choice
but to look at the novel as a call to action rather than simply a breathtaking piece of social commentary put
into literature.
Another example which uses a quote, as well:
While the intercalary chapters reveal a broad scope of man’s suffering, the narrative chapters focus that
scope on the harrowing journey of the Joad family. Intimacy is key in these chapters because “the Joad
narrative develops on a more intimate level the themes of the interchapters which chronicle the plight of
the migrants as a whole” (Bloom 57). By carefully portraying the narrative of the Joads, Steinbeck allows the
reader to really see the effects of the Great Depression through the eyes of diverse characters who have
thoughts and feelings and life-changing decisions to make.
Introduction and Title:
Title Example for GOW: Country-Fried Dialogue
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•
Based on the title, what is the author going to be emphasizing?
How is this better than the title, “Steinbeck’s Use of Colloquial Language”?
Introduction:
Socialism is practically preached in every single chapter of The Grapes of Wrath. In the intercalary chapters, the
reader is very much aware of it, thanks to the bluntness of the “quotation-less” situations. Not to mention that all
of the intercalary chapters are caked with rich with rich and flowing language, making it easy for the average
simpleton to comprehend it. On the other hand, the narrative chapters prefer adding words such as “y’all,” “an’,”
and several other phonetically spelled bits of Southern dialect. In his novel The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
creates socialistic propaganda by pouring out beautiful language to expose many unfair circumstances in the
intercalary chapters, unlike the narrative chapters in which he spends more time glorifying Southern dialect than
addressing the issues.
• What is the author of this essay going to be discussing in each of his body paragraphs?
• In what order will these points appear?
Playing with a motif
Motif: Once you have mastered certain elements of strong writing, you can start to play with your essay and add
a poetic touch. Parallel structure—dramatic fragments—stream-of-consciousness technique—and motifs all add
“voice” to your writing. WARNING: they can control your essay and then your academic purpose is lost. They are to be
used sparingly for impact.
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PreAP English
Example from student essay:
In the wake of World War I and the Roaring Twenties, America was again ready to paint another fresco in
its hall of history. When the Dust Bowl struck the Midwest in the 1930s, it prepared the rough arriccio on the
blank walls. The arriccio dried, and all that was left to be done was to find a painter to paint on it. John Steinbeck
volunteered to paint on the halls of American history with his book, The Grapes of Wrath.
….later in the essay
In essence, the intercalary chapters are the wet intonaco onto which a painter paints his frescoes to make it stick,
which in this case is the fresco of the Joads. With the intercalary chapters providing a giomata, Steinbeck is ready
paint on his fresco—his narrative chapters.
…Now instead of big, expressive poetical strokes, Steinbeck yields a delicate brush to paint on the story of a
family…Steinbeck draws out he characters in great detail and colors them with colloquialism. *Note: I have left out
the quotations and textual support and examples the author provided that made this essay work. And yes, I looked up
the Italian words concerning the creation of a fresco and found all were correctly and beautifully used.
Syntax and Diction: Your sentence structures and word choices will make or break your essay. Both should be
clear and mature. If a reader stumbles over your sentences, your syntax is awkward. If your diction is
inappropriate—wrong word choices or simply words used incorrectly—your message is lost and convoluted.
Some examples from student essays:
Awkward example: *Please note, I am using an example that I saw repeated over and over again. This is
not one single person’s writing, but a representation of a group problem.
Example:
He [Steinbeck] lets you know who he likes and is pushing for.
As all of this is going on larger businesses are taking the profits of smaller businesses.
All through the novel he gives examples to his readers about the way he views the world and the terrible
things that a capitalistic world brings upon us.
Steinbeck was an avid social reformer and he promotes Socialism throughout the novel with the idea of the
Weedpatch camp.
*Note: these examples are not representative of the entire essay; they only represent a few awkward
places. Everyone had them!
Here are some examples to emulate:
• Their [the bank’s] main goals are to profit, to not lose money, to control large amounts of property, and to
burn any extra food instead of giving it to the starving farmers. *note the parallel structure.
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PreAP English
• Socialism is introduced as the only viable option to promote the well-being of all of society; capitalism and
ownership inexcusably create a class of impoverished individuals. *note the use of a compound sentence
with a semi-colon. The semi-colon offers a stronger contrast than does a conjunction. Note diction. Mature.
• By manipulating the abstract elements the reader is exposed to, Steinbeck is able to control the response
to socialism and human nature. *Simple sentence using an introductory prepositional phrase. Diction mature.
*Note: I corrected the “exposed to” because you don’t want to end a sentence on a preposition--awkward. It
should read: “By manipulating the abstract elements to which the reader is exposed, Steinbeck. . .”
• Without the use of clever and continuous foreshadowing, many of the well-crafted intercalary chapters in
the Grapes of Wrath would be obsolete. The third chapter concerning the turtle alone remains famous
because the turtle’s journey descriptively and accurately depicts and foreshadows the journey of the Joads
to California, the Promised Land. Steinbeck’s purpose of employing foreshadowing in so many of the
intercalary chapters is to provide a sense of what will happen in the near future without blatantly
explaining the next step in the plight of the Joads. *Note the author discusses Steinbeck’s purpose—which is
great—as it relates to the literary elements that are commonly accepted and understood. The author does not
attribute something to Steinbeck that cannot be supported.
• In order for Steinbeck to make as much impact on the reader as possible, he cannot simply state the facts of
the results of capitalism and the hardships of migrants; he must change something within the reader
emotionally.
• Introductory prepositional phrase
• Main clause
• Second clause making this a compound sentence.
Transitions: The movement between paragraphs should be seamless.
• Each character allows the reader to identify with all of the characters, almost as if they were real people. The
detailed story of the Joads in the narrative chapters equips the reader with a perspective on man’s capacity for
suffering that the intercalary chapters cannot. Whether narrative or intercalary, each chapter plays a decisive role
in Steinbeck’s writing. By choosing to include both forms of chapters, Steinbeck not only can easily go back
and forth between broad and individualized, he also increases the overall impact of his novel with readers.
Here’s another one:
Suffering encompasses the hopes, fears, doubts—everything that makes the migrants human and therefore
relatable to all people in the world that Steinbeck is attempting to reach. With the novel’s focus on the
developing theme of human suffering, Steinbeck successfully transitions back and forth from the intercalary
chapters to the narrative.
While the intercalary chapters reveal a broad scope of man’s suffering, the narrative chapters focus that
scope on the harrowing journey of the Joad family.