The following questions could very well appear on a test about The Grapes of Wrath:
- 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.
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- How does Steinbeck assert the importance of rage in the novel? How does the motif of anger transform over the course of the story?
