What are the causes, gains and losses of the conflict dealt with in this book?
The conflict in this book really is hard to pinpoint. Some might say that it is the external conflict that the men cannot find jobs when they get to California or the many other smaller conflicts that occur throughout the story. I believe that the main conflict faced in the story is between Tom and himself. Tom is the main source of conflict just because he is the main character in the story. He is faced with many smaller external conflicts, like when he kills the man who stuck a pick axe in Casey's head and when he must decide if he will picket with the other workers at the peach farm. Tom's character is faced with many small problems throughout the story that leave a huge weight on his shoulders. His main conflict was deciding if he would travel to California or not. He chose to, and even though it cost him greatly, it may have been the right choice.
Tom had to make the decision to go to California because of the stock market crash and the Great Depression. Those two things left the U.S.'s economy in shambles, and forced many people out of their jobs and homes. Tom believed that the best move for the family was to go to California, and they had already been thinking the same thing.
Tom lost a great deal when he left for California. The story tells that the family collected up all of their important belongings and then sold all of the remaining items away for money. That would be so hard, to have to sell almost everything and move away, all just on a guess that life will be better. It had to be better.
Tom did however make a few gains in the move. Tom made a few new friends along the way, and when he did finally get to California, he was able to finally get a new job. His life may or may not have been better than the one before, but it was his decision to change his life, and he had to live with the outcome.
Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.
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