Tom was in prison for four years for manslaughter. I think that only four years in prison for manslaughter is outrageous. If Tom was accused of the same crime in a more modern time period he would be in prison for twenty-five years to life. Its just amazing to think about how much times have changed. Some people of today's time can be sentenced the death penalty for such a crime. We don't have this in Illinois, but in other states around the country there is.
On his way home he convinced a truck driver to give him a ride, even though the truck driver's boss told him not to, saying its the right thing to do (Steinbeck). This was the first main clue that made me think that Tom wasn't really a bad guy, he must have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. While Tom was in the truck the man told him that many local small town farmers have been run out of their land by the banks. I'm sure that by the time Tom got home he was relieved to still see his families farm standing off in the distant.
Chapters one and two weren't very eventful, but they set the foundation for more interesting chapters to come. I think that it is crucial when writing a novel that you have a serious foundation and one or two main characters introduced within the first twenty pages so that the reader doesn't get bored. Talking about someone being in prison is an easy way to stimulate the readers mind and make them keep reading. Steinbeck did a great job in keeping me interested in the book at the beginning.
Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.
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