The Grapes of Wrath (For Further Study)

For Further Study

• Frederick I. Carpenter, "The Philosophical Joads," in College English, Vol. 2, January, 1941, pp. 324-25.

  Carpenter describes the origins of Steinbeck's social philosophy in American thought from Ralph Waldo Emerson to William James.

• Chester E. Eisinger, "Jeffersonian Agrarianism in The Grapes of Wrath," in University of Kansas City Review, Vol. 14, Winter, 1947, pp. 149-54.

  The critic discusses the relationships between people and the land and how these relationships have changed in the twentieth century.

• Joseph Eddy Fontenrose, John Steinbeck: An Introduction and Interpretation, Barnes & Noble, 1963.

  The critic discusses the novel's biblical references, its relation to myth, and its stylistic devices.

• Warren French, editor, A Companion to The Grapes of Wrath, Penguin, 1989.

  A selection of criticism and interpretations of the novel.

• Howard Levant, The Novels of John Steinbeck: A Critical Study, University of Missouri Press, 1974.

  A collection of essays on Steinbeck's novels. Levant examines the role of symbolism and allegory in The Grapes of Wrath.

• Peter Lisca, The Wide World of John Steinbeck, Rutgers University Press, 1958.

  Lisca is an important critic of Steinbeck and is knowledgeable about his life and works. His readings of the novel range from Steinbeck's use of symbols and political thought to his work with the migrants.

• Paul McCarthy, John Steinbeck, Ungar, 1980.

  Among other things, the critic discusses Steinbeck's biblical references and the styles of discourse he uses in the novel.

• Harry Thornton Moore, The Novels of John Steinbeck: A First Critical Study, Kennikat Press, 1968.

  Moore discusses how the novel helped the migrant workers and compares this to other works of literature that have had social impact.

• Martin Staples Shockly, "The Reception of The Grapes of Wrath in Oklahoma," in American Literature, Vol. 15, January, 1954, pp. 351-61.

  The critic notes how and why the citizens of Oklahoma were offended by the novel.

• John Steinbeck, Working Days: The Journals of "The Grapes of Wrath," edited by Robert DeMott, Penguin, 1989.

  Steinbeck's journal entries recording his thoughts and the physical exhaustion he endured while writing his novel.

• David Wyatt, New Essays on "The Grapes of Wrath," Cambridge University Press, 1990.

  Wyatt provides an overview of criticism on the novel from 1940 – 1989.