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Book Wins Again

Book Wins Again
Like many other “books turned into movies” arguments, the book is usually the better one, and The Grapes of Wrath is definitely no exception. John Steinbeck, author of The Grapes of Wrath, intends to convey to readers the importance of unity and making humane choices. Throughout the book, Steinbeck uses intercalary chapters and metaphors to get this single point across. On the other hand, the movie is much more upbeat and does not really use the color and imagery that Steinbeck’s book uses. In reality, the book does a much better job of conveying Steinbeck’s message because the book has many intercalary chapters that give insight to the situation at hand and also because the book focuses on the migrants as a whole. Moreover, the two endings are tremendously different; the ending of the book leaves much more of an impact with readers.
In the intercalary chapters of the novel, the fate of many migratory workers is described. These chapters help clarify the reasoning behind some of the Joad’s decisions. On top of this, Steinbeck provides a detailed picture of the historical background of the 1930s: he describes the dust storms, the expulsion of the farmers from their homes, the tractors who destroy their farms, Route 66, and the reception of the so called 'Okies' in California. In these intercalary chapters, Steinbeck also criticizes the way tenant farmers are treated and the way powerful, rich people exploit the poor migrants. It is almost like Steinbeck directly narrates through these special intercalary chapters; one can easily grasp what Steinbeck is thinking when he tells the story of the Joads. Although elements of these intercalary chapters are only slightly incorporated in the movie, the ultimate effect of such condensing directs the focus wholly towards the Joads, rather than Steinbeck’s “migrants”.
The movie only focuses on the Joads, while the novel's focus shifts from the Joads to the situation of all the migrants who went to...