Erin McCord, The Grapes of Wrath

I chose to read The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck because I am a fan of Steinbeck and have read other texts written by him such as The Pearl and The Red Pony. Aside from familiarity and fanaticism with the author, The Grapes of Wrath interests me because it tells a story of the struggles of moving west among the Dust Bowl migration on an intimate level while the experience is also portrayed in an almost surreal-like fashion to me because I am so unfamiliar with even nature in the west, let alone the struggle to survive and travel in it. There is a sense of relation and intimacy with the Joads as I read about their endeavor. This subject and style interest me and, if we're being honest, a friend recommendation helped seal the deal on my choosing this book. At times the story gets confusing and the dialogue is written in such a way that it must be read aloud in order to understand what is being said underneath such a heavy southern vernacular.