Steinbeck often stresses the importance of people working together to achieve a common goal. How does this need show itself when the people (represented by the Joads) are torn from their land? In what other ways does the power of a group show up in the novel?

Hint: You might want to focus on Jim Casey and Tom Joad for part of your essay. Compare the evolution of the two men’s thinking on this subject. Some of what they discuss involves Unions and Strikes (although some of the language used is not very specific). What kind of censorship or resistance do they encounter with these ideas?

You can also discuss what Steinbeck has to say on the subject in the shorter “inter-chapters”–those which don’t deal directly with the Joads’ experiences (e.g., Chapters 14 & 17).