1.+Author's+Purpose

THESIS: The injustice in chapter three of //The Grapes of Wrath// is the new modern industrialization represented by the truck, that does not have sufficient infrastructure to sustain the change for the small farmers, represented by the turtle. The role of the individual in confronting injustice is to bond together usually within the family, so that the blow of injustice is distributed among many individual. With the society in the novel being subject to the injustice of industrialization without the proper infrastructure to handle such great change, it is the duty of the individual to distribute the impact in order to successfully deal with the change.  I n chapter three of //The Grapes of Wrath//, the realistic description of an old turtle trying to cross the highway symbolizes the Joads and their struggle. Similar to the turtle, the Joads are unfortunately victimized by the harsh environment in which they exist, and like the turtle, they continue on their journey. Steinbeck follows the turtle in much detail as it travels south west, the same direction the Joads travel throughout the novel, beginning with the turtle’s difficult climb up the embankment and onto the highway, where it is kindly avoided by one driver, but purposely attacked by the next. "Little by little the shell slid up the embankment until at last a parapet cut straight across its line of march, the shoulder of the road, a concrete wall four inches high." (page 15) The turtle described in the chapter is unharmed after being hit by a truck. This is because it's shell is divided into different plates and when hit, the impact is distributed to the different plates leaving the turtle unharmed. It is the families responsibility when faced with such injustice to distribute the impact among all family members and lessen the weight instead of putting all responsiblity on one person. When being compared to the Joad family, the reckless driver who purposely hit the turtle flipping him onto his back represents the many obstacles the Joads will have to overcome as they migrate west. "His front wheel struck the edge of the shell, flipped the turtle like a tiddly-wink, spun it like a coin, and rolled it off the highway." (page 15) They fight death, lack of supplies, and people who contain strong opinions regarding the “Okies”. But the turtle is protected by his shell, a symbol of salvation which is also shared with the Joad family. "Lying on its back, the turtle was tight in its shell for a long time." (page 15) They do not have much quality things with them as the migrate west, but the one thing that holds them together is family, and through all the hardships and troubles they face it is the idea of family that keeps them stable and able to move on. The Individuals role in confronting injustice is to collectively combine efforts to actively pursue ways to eliminate the injustice. Just like the many plates that make up a turtle shell, together, individuals can come together to form a type of infrastructure that can effectively support society. This infrastructure can provide a foundation that lessens the impact of the injustice.
 * Author's Purpose & Summary: **


 * Turtle crosses highway, traveling west
 * Purposely hit by car and flipped onto its back
 * Struggles to turn over, but succeeds and continues on journey
 * Turtle represents Joads and the obstacles they face migrating west
 * Even though they face many hardships and troubles, they overcome them waiting eagerly to arrive in California in search of a better life
 * Shell is the only thing protecting turtle, while the idea of family is the only thing keeping the Joads together