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ChapterTwelve：TheThirtiesSocialBackgroundofThisPeriod：Themoodofthethirtieswasdifferent.TheWallStreetcrashof1929setthetoneforthewritingofthedecade.AstheDepressionspread,lifebecameanightmarishexperienceofwant,poverty,andabsolutemisery.Economicdisaster,andthewretchedworklessexistenceforthemassesofthepeoplebroughthometoalltheunnervingrealizationthatthesystemhadcollapsed.Everythingseemedtobedisintegratingallofasuddenandallatonce,andanordered,rationalexistenceprovedtobeimpossible.Therewaswidespreadpanic.Iftherehadbeenanyhopeinthefrustratingroaringtwenties,therewas,formany,sheerdespairinthebleakyearsofthethirties.Itistruethat,whenF.D.RooseveltcameintotheWhiteHouse,hebroughtwithhimarefreshingbreezeofhopeandoptimismintoitandintothecountry.RooseveltwascleverenoughtoborrowfreelyfromthesocialistprogramsofthepreviousdecadesandofferedhissynthesisofthemastheNewDealwhichhelpedtowarddispellingthecrisis—ladenatmospherehangingoverthecountry.HefoundwaystoobtainmoneyfromfinanciersandindustrialiststosupportprojectslikethoseoftheCivilianConservationCorpsandtheFederalTheatre,allofwhichrestoredameasureofconfidencetotheSecondWorldWarthatthecountryfeltsafeagain.ThewarsavedtheUnitedStates.Facedwiththenewrealityofwantanddespair,Americanwritersfoundthemselvestryingtofindtheirfunctioninthesociety.Itwasapparentthatsocialconcernwastopmostinthemindsofmanyauthors,andthatsocialinvolvementwastobethemajorfeatureoftheliteratureofthethirties.Justasthecrisisof1893wasinsomemeasureinstrumentalinintroducingtheviolenceofthenaturalisticrhetoricinthelastyearsofthenineteenthcentury,sotheimpactofthecrisisofthethirtiesbroughtaboutarevivalofthattradition,withtheshadowofDreiserandNorrismovingbehindthenewliterarysensibilitythatwasappearing.MajorWriters：JohnSteinbeck(1902-1968)JohnSteinbeckwasbornintoamiddle-classfamilyintheagriculturalcenterofSalinas,California.Alifeamongfarmers,migrantworkers,andranchersoftheSalinasValley;Biblicallore,theknightlyadventuresofKingArthur,asummercourseinmarinebiology,adevotiontoTheGoldenBough,andafascinationwiththemysteriesoftheunconsciousallshapedSteinbeck’swritings.Apopularstudentinhighschool,SteinbeckreluctantlyattendedStandfordUniversityinwhosemagazinehisstorieswerefirstpublished.Leavingwithoutadegreein1925,Steinbeckcontinuedworkingatoddjobstosupporthiswritings.InitialsuccesscamewithCupofGold(1929).In1930hemarriedCarolHenning,receivedamonthlyincomefromhisparentsaswellastheuseofaseasidecottageinPacificGrove,andbecameafull-timewriter.Overhisthirty-yearwritingcareer,Steinbeckwrotefromthreegeneralperspectives.UnhappyinCaliforniaanddivorced,SteinbeckmovedtoNewYorkCityintheFortieswhereheremarried.DuringtheperiodthathewascompletingCanneryRow(1945),anovelaboutsocialwithdrawal,Steinbeckwaspreparingaplatformlistofpoliciescallingforfederallysupportedeconomicandcivilrightsathome;economicjusticeandhumanrightsabroadbacked,ifnecessary,bymilitarypower.Steinbeckdevotedherrestofhislifetofurtheringthesegoals.Ifhisartisticpowerswanedinhislaterwritings,Steinbeck’sconcernsforhumanitybroadened.Inanattempttobringpeoplesclosertogether,hewroteaboutcultureintheSovietUnion,England,andFrance.AttherequestofPresidentJohnsonhebecameagoodwillambassadorfortheUnitedNationsandwrotetheGreatSocietyPlatformof1964.HediedinNewYorkCityandwasburiedinCalifornia.ABriefAnalysisoftheAuthor’sImportantWorkAboutTheGrapesofWrath:JohnSteinbeck'snovelTheGrapesofWrathtellsthespecificstoryoftheJoadfamilyinordertoillustratethehardshipandoppressionsufferedbymigrantlaborersduringtheGreatDepression.ThenovelbeginswiththedescriptionoftheconditionsinDustBowlOklahomathatruinedthecropsandinstigatedmassiveforeclosuresonfarmland.TomJoad,amannotyetthirty,approachesadinerdressedinspotless,somewhatformalclothing.Hehitchesaridewithatruckdriveratthediner,whopressesTomforinformationuntilTomfinallyrevealsthathewasjustreleasedfromMcAlesterprison.Onhistravelshome,Tommeetshisformerpreacher,JimCasy.SteinbeckcontrastsTom'sreturnwiththearrivalofbankrepresentativestoevictthetenantfarmersandthetractorstofarmtheland.WhenTomandCasyreachtheJoad'shouse,ithasbeendeserted.MuleyGravestellsthemthattheJoadshavebeenevicted,andnowstaywithUncleJohn.Muley'sownfamilyhaslefttofindworkinCalifornia,butMuleydecidedtostayhimself.TomJoadfindstherestofhisfamilystayingwithUncleJohn.Hismotherisastrong,sturdywomanwhoisthemoralcenteroffamilylife.Hisbrother,Noah,mayhavebeenbraindamagedduringchildbirth,whilehissister,RoseofSharonisrecentlymarriedandpregnant.Herhusband,ConnieRivers,hasdreamsofstudyingradios.Tom'syoungerbrother,Al,isonlysixteenandhastheconcernsbefittingthatage.TheJoadsplantogotoCaliforniabasedonflyerstheyfoundadvertisingworkinthefieldsthere.JimCasyaskstoaccompanytheJoadstoCaliforniasothathecanworkwithpeopleinthefieldsratherthanpreachatthem.Beforethefamilyleaves,GrandpaJoadrefusestogo,butthefamilygiveshimmedicineandtakeshimwiththem.Almostimmediatelyintothejourney,theJoadfamilylosestwomembers.Thefirstvictimisthefamilydog.ThesecondisGrandpaJoad,whodiesofastroke.TheWilsonfamilyhelpstheJoadswhenGrandpadies,andthetwofamil