The Grapes of Wrath: What techniques does the author use to engage the audience?

John Steinbeck uses many literary tools to his advantage in The Grapes of Wrath to keep the audience engaged and interested in the book. Steinbeck uses mystery, suspense, and the reader's emotion and caring trait to his advantage when keeping the reader interested. Some of the mystery and suspense go together. When the Joads are ready to leave for California, we are not sure how they are going to get Grandpa to come with them so it is suspenseful and interesting to see what they do. They finally decide to put him to sleep with a medicine and the reader's wonderment is put to rest. Another example of both mystery and suspense is when Tom witnesses his friend, Casy, die by the hands of a guard. We do not know what he will do after he sees this, if he will retaliate or flee in fear of his own life. It is suspenseful because we do not know what he will do and it is mysterious because we are not too sure why the guard killed Casy.

Steinbeck uses the feelings of the readers many times also. We feel sorry for the people in this story because they are suffering and dying. The Great Depression drove families to do things that they may never think they would have to do. Steal, kill, and fight for jobs, which gave them money to be able to feed their family. This is sad and hits the reader in the heart because in our great country no one should have to endure such hardship and misery. We feel especially bad for the Joad family. We grow to care for them and we wish that they are able to find work. They left all they had and sold all of their personal possessions just for the hope of work in California, that for all we know is not there. We are also deeply touch at one of the last scenes of the book. Rose of Sharon suckled that man so that he may live(Steinbeck, Chapter 30). We feel good that the man may be able to live instead of dying a death that no person, good or bad, should have to endure of starvation.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992. Print.