"The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck Quiz

Answer: The bank foreclosed on their property.

The Joads were not the only ones in this situation. Many tenant farmers emigrated from Oklahoma and the surrounding regions because dust storms and overuse of the land did not allow farmers to make a living off their land anymore. Banks then foreclosed on the farmers, and resold the land to large companies.

Answer: California

Pa Joad saw a handbill advertising work in California. Since there was no work available in Oklahoma, the Joads decided to seek their fortune in California.

Answer: It was a slang term for people originally from Oklahoma.

The people who used the word "Okie" applied it to anyone who came west looking for work. Most of these workers were from the Great Plains region of the country, and were not limited to Oklahoma. When they heard it for the first time, the Joads were confused about how it was an insult.

Answer: The Wilsons and the Wainwrights

The Joads met the Wilsons early in their travels. The two groups ended up camping together because the Wilsons' car had broken down, and Granpa Joad was very sick. Al and Tom Joad fixed the car, and Sairy Wilson helped care for Granpa Joad. Granpa Joad did not recover, however, and the two families traveled together most of the way to California.

The Wainwrights met the Joads near the end of the book, when both were living in an abandoned boxcar. The two families helped each other out because Al Joad and Aggie Wainwright decided to marry.

Answer: All of these choices are correct.

Few families were able to make enough money to feed themselves sufficiently because of all of these factors. The companies did not mind that there were so many people who needed work because they could set lower wages.

Answer: The noise made by the camp caused the local residents to complain to the police.

The local authorities had a number of reasons to fear the government camp, but noise was not explicitly mentioned as one of them. The most important issue they had was that the success and peace of the government camp proved that the "Okies" weren't stupid and lazy (which was their stereotype).

Answer: A strike had been called because the workers' wages had been lowered.

The strike was actually led by Jim Casy, a family friend who had traveled out to California with the Joads. He realized shortly after arriving in California that the only way to get the companies to pay fair wages was for all of the migrant workers to unite and demand them.

Answer: He had to hide because he killed a man who attacked a friend of his.

The friend in question here is Jim Casy. Tom was so angry over the death of his friend that he killed Casy's murderer without stopping to think about the consequences. Tom was injured in the process, so even though the police did not get a good look at him, he had to hide in order to conceal his injuries.

Answer: All of the above statements are themes of the book.

All three of these themes are reiterated through the book. Each time the Joads work together with another family, both families benefit from the collaboration. The unification of humanity idea is from Jim Casy, who kept talking about how each individual's soul was part of a universal soul.

The importance of action is illustrated in Tom's decision to start performing the union work that Casy had been doing, instead of docilely accepting the poor treatment he was getting. (Information based on: "On Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath," by Kelly McGrath Vlcek)

Answer: Jim Casy

The final words of Jim Casy (the retired preacher) echo the last words of Jesus, which were "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do." Many of Jim Casy's actions, such as sacrificing himself for his cause, are similar to those of Jesus. (Information based on: "On Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath," by Kelly McGrath Vlcek)

Hope you enjoyed the quiz!