Theme: American Dream – Focus on California

Text: Excerpt from: John Steinbeck – Grapes of Wrath (1939) (Chapter 26)

"An' what else?" "Well, some bread." "Right here. Fine big loaf, fifteen cents." "That there's a twelve-cent loaf." "Sure, it is. Go right in town an' get her for twelve cents. Gallon a gas. What else can I sell you, potatoes?" "Yes, potatoes." "Five pounds for a quarter." Ma moved menacingly toward him. "I heard enough from you. I know what they cost in town." The little man clamped his mouth tight. "Then go git 'em in town." Ma looked at her knuckles. "What is this?" she asked softly. "You own this here store?" "No. I jus' work here." "Any reason you got to make fun? That help you any?" She regarded her shiny wrinkled hands. The little man was silent. "Who owns this here store?" "Hooper Ranches, Incorporated, ma'am." "An' they set the prices?" "Yes, ma'am." She looked up, smiling a little. "Ever'body comes in talks like me, is mad?" He hesitated for a moment. "Yes, ma'am." "An' that's why you make fun?" "What cha mean?" "Doin' a dirty thing like this. Shames ya, don't it? Got to act flip, huh?" Her voice was gentle. The clerk watched her, fascinated. He didn't answer. "That's how it is," Ma said finally. "Forty cents for meat, fifteen for bread, quarter for potatoes. That's eighty cents. Coffee?" "Twenty cents the cheapest, ma'am." "An' that's the dollar. Seven of us workin', an' that's supper." She studied her hand. "Wrap 'em up," she said quickly.

    "Yes, ma'am," he said. "Thanks." He put the potatoes in a bag and folded the top carefully down. His eyes slipped to Ma, and then hid in his work again. She watched him, and she smiled a little.

    "How'd you get a job like this?" she asked.

    "A fella got to eat," he began; and then, belligerently, "A fella got a right to eat." "What fella?" Ma asked.

    He placed the four packages on the counter. "Meat," he said. "Potatoes, bread, coffee. One dollar, even." She handed him her slip of paper and watched while he entered the name and the amount in a ledger. "There," he said. "Now we're all even." Ma picked up her bags. "Say," she said. "We got no sugar for the coffee.

    My boy Tom, he wants sugar. Look!" she said. "They're a-workin' out there.

    You let me have some sugar an' I'll bring the slip in later." The little man looked away- took his eyes as far from Ma as he could.

    "I can't do it," he said softly. "That's the rule. I can't. I'd get in trouble. I'd get canned." "But they're a-workin' out in the field now. They got more'n a dime comin'. Gimme ten cents of sugar. Tom, he wanted sugar in his coffee. Spoke about it." "I can't do it, ma'am. That's the rule. No slip, no groceries. The manager, he talks about that all the time. No, I can't do it. No, I can't. They'd catch me. They always catch fellas. Always. I can't." ….(496 w)

Annotations

Introductory Remark: Ma Joad has a slip of paper worth one dollar to buy food in the grocery store on Hooper Farm

Words: 2 gallon a gas – that will cost you a gallon of gas 5 git – get 10 what cha mean – what do you mean; shames ya – makes you feel ashamed, flip – crazy 24 a-workin' – working 28 more'n a dime –more than ten cents; gimme – give me

Assignments

1.      In what way can the conversation between Ma Joad and the shop assistant be called a "tug of war"? [Contents]

2.      How does the scene reflect the situation of migrant workers at Hooper Farm? Work on details of the text in your answer. [Contents + Analysis]

3.      Would Ma Joad's great grandchildren consider their ancestor's experience (as described in the extract) as one that is part of the American Dream (or rather Californian Dream)? [Comment]