Summary of The Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath is a Pulitzer Prize-winning classic novel by John Steinbeck, first published in 1939. The novel follows the Joad family, whose farming livelihood has been destroyed by the devastating Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Forced to migrate west to California in search of work, the family is met with hostility from wealthy landowners. In the face of abject poverty, brutality, and other hardships, the Joads find strength in their unity, eventually inspiring members of the migrant community to rise up against their oppressors. Through this story, Steinbeck conveys a universal message about perseverance, faith, justice, and the basic human struggle for survival.