What was the conclusion of The Grapes of Wrath?

Answer 1

At the end of the book a fairly minor character suddenly becomes vitally important. At the beginning of the book it was established that Tom Joad's teenaged, married sister was pregnant. This is also done in the movie but the fact is almost completely ignored thereafter. in the book she eventually has the baby but it dies. In the final chapter, the Joads seek shelter from a storm and rising floodwater in an abandoned house. There they find a man and his two children. The children are thin but OK. The man on the other hand is skeletal and on the point of death. It is clear that for many weeks he has been giving whatever little food he could acquire to his children and has eaten virtually nothing. It is clear that if he does not get some sustenance, and immediately, he will not live through the night. It is also clear that he is far too weak to consume solid food. At a mere glance from Ma Joad, the girl who, up until this point had been fussy short tempered and selfish (not without reason), strips and, over the man's strident yet feeble objections, forces his mouth to her breast and suckles him.

Naturally this was quite shocking to people in 1939 and you can see why they chose to drop this entiirely from the movie. Steinbeck was trying to make a point about the universality of human values and the brotherhood of man. He wanted it to be shocking. In my opinion though, it is just not believeable. As I said the girl had been selfish and bad tempered throughout the book. There had never been anything to indicate that she had the compassion and generosity of spirit that she demonstartes here. It would not have been difficult to write one or two scenes which established that such was her true nature and her ill temper was simply due to the difficulties of being pregnant under severe hardships. Steinbeck chose not to write it that way and I think it is the most significant failing in an otherwise great work of literature.

Answer 2

The conclusion of "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck sees the Joad family dispersing due to economic hardship and societal oppression. While some members find temporary solace in a government camp, the novel ultimately emphasizes the resilience and determination of the human spirit in the face of adversity.