Guidance & Considerations

• You might focus on characters such as Tom Joad, Ma Joad, Jim Casy, or Rose of Sharon to support your argument.
• Think about how Steinbeck employs intercalary chapters (the chapters not focused on the Joad family) to enhance or complicate the novel's main themes.
• Examine relevant symbols — like the turtle, the Hoovervilles, or the final image of Rose of Sharon — as evidence to back up your thesis.
• Include at least one counterargument: for instance, instances where collective action falters or is suppressed.
• Your essay should reflect a close reading of the text, rather than just summarizing the plot.

Assessment Focus

Clarity of thesis, use of textual evidence, analysis of literary devices, and engagement with complexity.

Compose a well-structured argumentative essay in which you defend, challenge, or qualify this assertion. Use specific evidence from the novel — encompassing character development, symbolic imagery, and narrative structure (such as the intercalary chapters) — to bolster your argument.

Guiding Questions to Consider

• How does the survival of the Joad family hinge on their ability to broaden their sense of community beyond familial ties?
• What insights does Steinbeck offer regarding institutions (like banks, landowners, and government) in contrast to the "people"?
• In what ways do characters such as Tom Joad, Ma Joad, and Jim Casy embody — or complicate — the concept of collective action?
• What is the importance of the novel's concluding scene in relation to this argument?

Requirements

• A minimum of 5 paragraphs (introduction, 3 body paragraphs, conclusion)
• A clear, debatable thesis statement
• Reference at least three specific scenes or passages from the novel
• Address at least one counterargument