The Turtle
The Turtle (or Tortoise) is significant becase it represents the situation that the farmers are in throughour the novel.
The slowly work and work towards a specific goal, but they are constantly overpowered and abused by an entity that is more
powerful than they are.
"And now a light truck approached, and as it came near, the driver saw the turtle and swerved to hit it. His front
wheel struck the edge of the shell, flipped the turtle like a tiddly-wink, spun it like a coin, and rolled it off the highway.
The truck went back to it's course along the right side." 22
The turtle represents the lower class, and the dominant force, (the car, which represents the upper class) knocks the
turtle off its course. Further along in the passage the turtle is able to continue on with it's journey despite the
direct attack on it.
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The Flood
The flood towards the end of the novel signifies a new beginning for both the Joad family and the rest of the class.
The flood washes away the corrupt individuals and the sins, including the dead baby that Rosasharn bore. It is interesting
to note that after the flood, the land-owners seem to have a lesser role in the novel, just as they did in the parable of
Noah's Ark, which this is based on.
"And the rain pattered relentlessly down, and the streams broke their banks and spread out over the country." 591
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Grapes
If you think about grapes, you'll get an image of a grape bag from a supermarket. First of all, the grapes grow
in bunches, which relates to the unity of a group all originating from a central idea. The individual grapes are always
on the bottom, squashed and bad-tasting, which characterizes the individuals and how they are nothing without the group.
Also, grapes are used to make wine, which relates to all the religious symbolism in the book.
"...and in the eyes of the people there is a failure; and in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath. In
the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." 477
The grapes growing 'heavy for the vintage' means that the people are understanding that they must stage a revolution
agaisnt their suppressers.
