Lessons Learned from "The Grapes of Wrath"

The Grapes of Wrath has many lessons that can be learned from it. It shows one to not take things for granted and to always lend a hand. People should not take things for granted, because those items can be taken from them very quickly and easily. This is easily shown through the Joads. The Joads had a farm and all the things necessary for farming. They lived comfortably in their farmhouse. While they were not wealthy, they were happy and thankful for what they had. Before they knew it, a man on a tractor came and told them that they needed to leave their land. They refused, but when he "accidentally" hit the edge of their house, they realized that he meant business. They gathered as much as they could and moved to their Uncle John's house. While they were there, they all decided to move out to California, because they had heard of work there. While they were packing, they had to leave even more of their possessions behind. Before they knew it, they were down to almost the bare minimum. Before the Great Depression, the Joads had plenty, but when it hit, they quickly lost quite a few of their possessions. Lending a hand is also very necessary. No one ever knows when they might need a favor, so if one lends a hand, they are more likely to have more people willing to lend a hand and help them out. The Joads shared their supplies with the family that they shared the boxcar with. They gave of their possessions and of their time, so when the Joads needed a hand, the other family was willing to help. When Rose of Sharon was giving birth, the other family came and helped both Ma and Rose of Sharon get through it. She also helped dispose of the child after it had been stillborn. As shown here, not taking things for granted and lending are important life lessons shown in The Grapes of Wrath.