Teaching Programme 1998 for John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" (1939)

Lesson No:
1. Distribution, cover blurb, introduction, historical background, begin reading
2. Steinbeck the man:biodata and video of his life
3. same. Discuss notes with the Video
4. Due: Reading Worksheet 1: What is a classic?
Week 2
5. Review of reading so far Chapters 1, 2, 3.
6. Its title and structure: the intercalary chapters and the significance of the turtle
7. Worksheet 2:Chapter 3 written exercise
8. silent reading
Week 3
9. Silent reading
10. Introduce major themes in this novel.
11. Character Profiles
12. Text analysis
Week 4
13. Silent reading .
14. Selected texts analysed
15. Text analysis Characters
16. Text analysis,Journal Writing Exercise and song lyrics.
Week 5
17. Assignment: Essay Topics and preparation. See the journey theme essay outline.Classic novel?
18 Drafting
19. Drafting
20. Submission

Teaching Programme 1999

Novel distributed 5th Feb.; to finish by 16/3 = 42 days for 30 chapters (542 pp).

Students will need to stick to a daily reading regime.

Teaching Programme
23/2 Steinbeck video and video sheet
24/2 Historical setting; intercalary structure; orientation.
26/2 Converting speech to editorial genre
1/3 The Grapes of Wrath title: Bible references
3/3 Internet web site to access background, themes, novel end of unit model essays.
4/3 Ch 2 turtle theme and text. Journal writing exercise in class.
5/3 Brissenden article: background, themes and survey. Silent reading.
HW second journal writing exercise.
9/3 Ch 4 Tom Joad and Jim Casy: text analysis and writing style
HW: character sketches.
10/3 Ch 5 monster theme: text analysis and writing style
11/3 Character selections: text analysis and writing style
12/3 Theme selections: text analysis and writing style
15/3 Teacher text selections; essay planning practice
16/3 Criteria sheet and plans
17/3 Drafting in class
18/3 drafting in class
19/3 drafting in class; end of unit
= 11 classes x 42 mins = 462 mins = 7.3 hours lectures.
It is never anticipated that classes guide or limit reading.
Classes will need to follow your reading, highlighting themes and preparing for the
exam.

Planning essays on The Grapes of Wrath

Genre: critical analysis essay;

Criteria: student shows knowledge of the facts in the book; is able to

understand the themes; is able to discuss their relevance and significance.

1. journey theme

turtle a totem of Nature journeying; has will and purpose

journey gives access to a range of typical characters and settings - leads

to a comprehensive view and compulsive "argument"

journey is itself a theme - Is USA marching to justice?

journey of ideas - individuals into groups

overnight roadside camps Hoovervilles a paradigm example of humanity's shared 'oversoul'; families into nations;

from doubt and oppression to human family solidarity

journey from innocence to experience

2. "Classic novels can be read at different levels of meaning. Draw out some levels of literary significance after reading The Grapes of Wrath."
 
Three levels of meaning - justice for the Joads, justice for all workers and migrants, justice for all mankind:
b. unjust people the deputies cf Mr Thomas (311)
c. unjust social economic system in US and CA
d. unjust world - injustice is inevitable; greed, capital
e. ironic title of the novel: optimistic - justice will find a way in the end.

3. Steinbeck writes with compassion:

with his heart - his feeling for the Okies, our common plight (separation, death, helplessness)

with his head - his understanding of their hopes, fears, plight

with his voice - advocate and prophet of the people, in Casy and in the intercalary chapters.

with his soul - experiences the "oversoul' (Emerson) ; suffers human division in exploitation.

4. "Overview the novel." An overview needs to:

  • identify and feature major themes and characters
  • be comprehensive (covers the whole scope of the novel - not the first dozen chapters)
  • be accurately researched (references, quotations, links to history)
  • be literary (comparisons with other texts, recognises conventions observed and broken and why)
  • be aware of audience, scholarly (literary scholars, Viewpoint readers, "your own teaching Faculty")
  • make no confessions ; you are successful but you explain what you aimed to do, what you wanted readers to think. Genre is 'literary essay' to be read in full without speech-making devices.
  • take up a personal point of view on your work, on your greatest, most acclaimed novel.

"I am a newspaper reporter as you know and I spent a great deal of time with the Okies who came to California to prepare various newspaper reports on their lives and hopes. Naturally then in the novel I drew on my own experiences with them. I was able to . . . . . ." 'John Steinbeck 1999'

Comparing features of the 2 genres

Ensure you stay within the genre conventions.

Overview
  • plot information selected for its significant contribution
  • more extensive analysis
  • identifies significant features; interest in literary features
  • situates the work in the library of scholarship
  • intertextual comparisons in the culture
  • rates the work on standards of literature
  • faults critiqued
  • commendations
  • mutued personal view
  • evalution relative to author's previous works or works within that genre

Book Review

  • plot information selected for its novelty or for potential commercial interest
  • short, set length
  • selects features to interest buyers; highlights 'juicy bits'
  • makes fewer comparisons; only comparisons of interest; comparisons with popular works
  • rates the work on potential to sell
  • faults glanced over
  • recommendations
  • overt personal response
  • up-front evaluative focus
G. Smith 2000

Readings from The Grapes of Wrath in class

title: Deut 32 Num 13, Jer 31:30, Rev 14
page 2 dust Nature's cycles
4 bemused perplexity
6 Tom descriptions
15-17 turtle style craft theme
20 Casy introduced
21 Holy Sperit
25 there ain't no sin
26 one big soul (oversoul theme: Emerson) See also Pan 444
34 conflict class interests
35 monster theme
37 our land right perceptions of ownership see also 41 & 132
39 faceless goggled muzzled driver = economic forces
39-40 muzzled view of the land
50 Muley described
51 Muley's memories attachment to the land
57 wrong attitude: like a ol' graveyard ghos'
59 Casy's call to give folks hope 63 to preach 107 I'm gonna …
69-70 car salesman's patter
78-9 dogs and heifers act natural = Nature's instinctive drives
80 Old Tom Joad
88 Noah
92 I got thinkin'
94 Ma Pan: 80, 117 123, 132, 180, 222, 470, 342
96 Al
98-100 bitterness Grapes bitterness theme: Pan 156, 368-9
108 Rose of Sharon
109 Uncle John
113 impulses
114 Hudson
125 hope
140 summary

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