And also poverty, ex-preachers, Senor Steinbeck The Luddite Who Hates Tractors, thinly veiled socialism, and the Joads killing pigs and leaving on a half-car-half-truck-THING. With a dog.
It's hard for me to formulate thoughts without the big picture of the whole book, and I don't remember anything from when I read it in high school, so I offer you Scattered First Impressions:
1. I hate to be preached to by an author, even in the form of an EX preacher. Look, I wrote a character who USED to be a preacher, so it's not preaching when I use this character as a mouthpiece for myself, right? RIGHT? (not right) I also realize this is a personal preference and not necessarily an objective problem with the book. But on the other hand, Steinbeck isn't known for having a light hand, is he?
2. Well hello, sexism. I appreciate that it's historically (and geographically, while we're at it) accurate, but it rankles nonetheless. The scene where the ex-preacher asks Ma if he can come with them and she turns to Tom because he's a man and it's his right to speak first? All that "and the women went about their business because the men didn't have breakdowns, which meant everything was cool" stuff. EGADS.
3. Steinbeck! He is good with the words and stuff. Some of his sentences are alive. The passages about the dust feel DUSTY and WINDY and HOT. He is a WIZARD, HARRY. It is heart-wrenching.
Fin.
"I hate to be preached to by an author, even in the form of an EX preacher."
ReplyDeleteA-greed. East of Eden feels way less this way, but I have Thoughts on that and how he was older and less like "I'm gonna make man want to work together!" and more "Maybe each man can work on himself and try to be less of a dick."
Also I want more tortoises.
I don't know what it is about the preachy thing. Even when I AGREE with the preaching (which, in this case, I often times do NOT), I'm still a bit STOP WITH THE MORALIZING, YOU ARE NOT A BROTHER GRIMM. Grr.
Delete"All that 'and the women went about their business because the men didn't have breakdowns, which meant everything was cool'" - but but then there's the whole part about how Ma has to be the one to remain strong because she's the center of the family and if she breaks, they all break. I think Steinbeck is toying with us. (Also some sexism cos you know, the times.)
ReplyDeleteSTEINBECK LOVES WOMEN SO
DeleteI mean, Cathy in East of Eden. She could've just been a bitch like she would've been in Hemingway, but he's like "MAYBE THERE'S A REASON SHE'S THIS WAY" and you're like "Ohhhhh."
Man. Steinbeck.
Yes! Ma! You are correct. But still, the times. It's ridiculous for me to be miffed at Things Of The Past That Were And Are No Longer.
DeleteMaaaaaybe Steinbeck will pull a Wilkie and will SUBVERT sexist stereotypes sneakily. By making Ma AWESOME.
DeleteBut tractors destroy the LAND! And the land is the only thing that matters, Scarlett!
ReplyDeleteAhem. I totally see your problem with the preacher, only I kind of feel like by his going 'Oh no, I can't preach anything anymore' it kind of makes it better when he does preach? Or... That's just really sneaky. Maybe.
ALSO, don't you think the sexism is also kind of... Not sexism? Like, the women let the men think they're in charge while actually doing all the stuff themselves? Ma is still the most important member of the family, so... I can't really argue with that! (Let's be real- I can't really argue with Steinbeck ever. It's getting to be a problem.)
"But tractors destroy the LAND! And the land is the only thing that matters, Scarlett!"<---HAHAHA!
DeleteI admit to rolling my eyes several times during the Tractors Are S' Dumb section (Cars? Anyone? Pixar?). Because we all know how farming with a horse-drawn plow is the only way to appreciate the dirt, folks!
I'm sure that Steinbeck means to be sexism-that-isn't-really, but the superficial stuff still bothers me. For example, Rose of Sharon riding in the bed of the truck even when she's pregnant because she has lady parts. This irritates me.
"Because we all know how farming with a horse-drawn plow is the only way to appreciate the dirt, folks!" Exactly! How far do you take it? You are disconnected capitalist swine unless you get down on your knees and plant those seeds your-dang-self. Would be the next step. That he would take.
Delete"Rose of Sharon riding in the bed of the truck even when she's pregnant because she has lady parts." YES. This bothers me muchly. And Uncle John actually would PREFER to let her sit in the front, but he is bound by his man-duties to take the seat himself or bring SHAME on his family. Sometimes social constructs are stupidly arbitrary.
DeleteI missed the part where Ma turns to her husband that you mentioned (once again, I'm blaming the NyQuil), but I did catch what Laura mentioned above about Ma really being the building block of the Joad family, even if the men think that they are. But then there is the whole part about Uncle not wanting to be at the head of the family (and therefore sit in the front of the truck) but he has to because those are the rules, which was a little playing with the standard sexism, no?
ReplyDeleteAlso, agreed that some of these sentences are alive. And the dust. So much dust.
I think she actually turns to young Tom, not husband Tom (which confuses me even more- sure, he's a man, but he's also 20 years younger than you and just got out of jail and has no idea what's going on). I loved the part about the Uncle, but I would've loved it more if he made Rose of Sharon take his seat.
DeleteAgreed. Or Rosasharn, as the case may be. What a name.
DeleteYour posts always brighten my day. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteOh Mal.
ReplyDeleteSteinbeck is kind of surprising me with his writing... who would have known that a chapter about goddamn dust could suck me in, that I would actually approve of such a thing. But then again, this is my first real Steinbeck, so maybe I've just been missing out.
Soooer preachy, Steinbeck. But so prettily, heart-breakingly preached.
ReplyDeleteFirefly GIF!!!!! That is all.
ReplyDeleteI just came here to say "Firefly!!!" - but I see someone has already. :)
ReplyDelete*fist bump*
Delete