Test Questions for Grapes of Wrath

The following questions could very well appear on a test about The Grapes of Wrath:

1. Ultimately, what, according to Steinbeck, is the nature of sin? Consider the point of view articulated by characters in the novel and Steinbeck’s narrative voice in the intermediary chapters.
2. One critic argued that The Grapes of Wrath was “more effective as a stimulus to sorrowful memory than as a call to action.” Is this a fair criticism of the novel?
3. Discuss the end of the novel. Does it fit with the rest of the book? Is it believable for Rose of Sharon to assume the role of a transcendent giver of life and for Tom to become the fulfillment of Casey’s promise?
4. Critics have argued that The Grapes of Wrath is a collective novel, in the sense that it derives more of its impact from its critique of society as a whole than from its portrayal of individual characters. Do the Joads matter more as symbols than as characters?
5. How does Steinbeck assert the importance of rage in the novel? How does the motif of anger transform over the course of the story?