Connection+to+The+Grapes+of+Wrath

“Harrington House,” by Faith W. Munson, reminds of __The Grapes of Wrath__. Throughout the novel, all the characters really want is a house to live in. When the Joads are uprooted from their own home, they realize the significance of a house to them. Connie and Rose of Sharon want a house so much, and when they realize it might be harder than they thought to get it, it basically drives Connie away. The rest of the family lives in horrible conditions for the rest of the book, and it seems that all they want is just a place to stay in. However, we see that it will be hard for them to save up for a house with the unsteadiness of their jobs. The house in this picture, with the white fence on the outside, would be like a dream come true for the Joads, but unfortunately, in the book they are never able to get a house like this one.

In contrast, "Heat Wave" by Weegie seems to be the reality that the Joads faced in California. They actually lived in very tight conditions, and most places seemed to be dirty no matter what the family would do to clean it. The dream of a place like "Harrington House" was just that - a dream.This picture shows the kind of destitution that the family lived in but also lets us see that these people in the picture, like the Joads, tried to stick together in the hard times and were always very close.

"Ride Victim," by Weegee, also shows the desperate situation the Joads were in. The cars, to me, represent the government basically ignoring the plight of the farmers during the dust bowl. As the woman in the picture lies there, dying or dead, the cars just pass her by, not stopping or helping her. All the people in the dust bowl area wanted was help from the government for the situation they were in. Instead, the government basically ignored them and they were harassed by "natives" of the states they were forced to move into.

I think that all these pictures show the strength of the American character. Although "Ride Victim" shows the sad side of people's stories, the other two show the ability of Americans to adapt in really bad situations. While the Joads had hoped for "Harrington House," or something like it, they ended up in more of a "Heat Wave" situation. We see through the book the great ability of the American spirit to adapt to the hardships they encounter, because for the most part, the family helps each other through the tough times even when no one else will help them.

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