Thursday, March 6, 2014

Conflict (G) Chapters 1-10

Man v. machinery is a major conflict in the novel.

"But this tractor does two things- it turns the land and turns us off the land. There is little difference between this tractor and a tank. The people were driven, intimidated, hurt by both."

This quote shows that no matter what job the machinery does, its impact on the human emotion is prominent. The emotional attachment to the land is abruptly interrupted by the cold, "intimidating" machines. Though the farmers felt a connection to the food which they grew, the lack of food and resources made it difficult to maintain a relationship with their own land. 

Being that man created machinery, it is an interesting commentary by Steinbeck that man cannot control what it has created, an idea that remains relevant present-day through the development of modern technology. 

This machinery created during the Great Depression was intended to help and increase profit, but instead put many farmers out of business,  and escalated the problem in the already poverty-struck nation. 

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