ers, or parents and children. To find such a bond often takes many years, decades or a lifetime. In many cases it is never truly found. If and when one does end this type of relationship and it is threatened, one will attempt to preserve it even if it means through drastic measures. On a much larger scale, Steinbeck depicts the compassion felt between men all over the world through the social structure of the migrants in The Grapes of Wrath. The migrant people, while devastated by hunger and poverty, always found a way to reach out to others and keep on giving. While not intentionally searching for one, the migrant people were given a common bond; they were given the drive to survive: "Why Tom - us people will go on livin' when all them people is gone. Why Tom, we're the people that live. They ain't gonna wipe us out. Why, we're the people - we go on. (Grapes, pg.280) These migrant people went far above and beyond the call of duty. They reached beyond their immediate family's needs in order to help others. Food rations were small and jobs were scarce, but the limitations were surpassed by the unselfish nature of thousands of men fighting the same battle. For example, Ma Joad rationed her family's food into even smaller portions so that she would have some leftovers to feed the starving children: "I can't send 'em away. I'll let them have what's lef'." (Grapes, pg.257). Likewise, jobs were steadily decreasing. Yet, once again Steinbeck created characters who would transcend these limits: "Maybe I shouldn't, but- yeah, i'll tell ya. Fella came through an' he says they's gonna be work up norht." (Grapes, pg. 259). Although the man knew telling others about work could potentially decrease his pay that he so desperatly needed, he sacrifices for his fellow man so that he too could eat. As much as one is moved by the small of these people througout the novel, the ending still comes as shock. It is an exa...
