The Grapes of Wrath

"The Grapes of Wrath tells the story of the Joad family, and thus illustrates the hardships and oppression suffered by migrant laborers during the Great Depression in the United States. It is an explicitly political piece of writing, one that champions collective action by the lower classes. In taking this social stance, Steinbeck's novel criticizes shortsighted self-interest and chastises corporate and banking elites for profit-maximizing policies that ultimately forced farmers into destitution and even starvation."--Page 4 of cover