The Exposition of The Grapes of Wrath is set in 1939 Oklahoma when the Dust Bowl was occurring. It begins on the Joad family farm as they prepare to head to California ahead of the conditions by The setting is very significant to the story because the dust made life difficult for the people in Oklahoma yellow shoes and the yellow was disappearing under the gray dust” The dust bowl prompted many people from Oklahoma to move west,. as conditions were not conducive to farming Characterization: There are 3 main characters involved in Grapes of Wrath Joad: Ma Joad is the matriarch of the family, she cooks dinner, tells the men what to do, does the laundry, and goes to the expense. She didn't want the men to have anything to do with the preparation of the food and had a nervous breakdown the men tried to salt the pig. Mother has a very strong character as she retained the knowledge that her grandmother was dead before they arrived in California. Mother often told the family what to do. When they were at the Weedpatch Government Camp, he decided the family would go north to Tulare to pick cotton. But he is a very important character throughout the book. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay Tom Joad: Tom Joad, known throughout the book as "Joad", started the book simply on parole after 4 years in prison and is trying to get home. When he went up the hill to the Joad farm, he saw that they were leaving. He decided to go and surprise his family with a visit, and they told him they were going to California. He decided to move on and avoid being captured again. Toward the end of the story, Joad was walking along the river and found a homeless encampment. In that camp he finds Jim Casy, the preacher from the novel. While Joad and Jim were talking, the owner of the property came with a pickaxe and hit Jim Casy in the head and killed him. Joad went and told Mom that he had found Jim Casy, but now deceased, the police were looking for Joad on suspicion of Jim Casy's murder. Joad went and hid in some blackberry bushes to stay hidden from the police. Pa Joad: Pa Joad is the head of the family. He planned the entire trip to move to California. As Dad grew up, he did his best to maintain his position as the leader of the family, but he was no longer able to do what he used to do. He complained of having “confusing” thoughts and had difficulty deciding in difficult situations, such as whether to go north to Tulare or stay in the Weedpatch camp. When they go north to Tulare, they get a flat tire and a man tells them about the job that awaits them. When they leave the Cooper Farms to pick cotton, they encounter a heavy storm, and Dad shows his commitment to the family by building a dam to keep the river from overflowing. Plot Elements: At the beginning of this story, we are introduced to Tom Joad. He is hitchhiking with a delivery man home from prison and discovers that his family is packing up to move to California. They told Tom they were looking for work and couldn't find it, so they hoped California would have some work for them. After the long drive finally ended, they looked up from the top of a hill and looked down on the San Joaquin Valley and were speechless because it was so beautiful. When they began working cotton picking in Tulare, Tom Joad witnessed the owner killing Jim Casy, and in turn, Tom kills one.