In chapter 20, they got grandma a casket. Then they went to "Hooverville" to camp. Tom spoke with a neighbor who told him the blunt truth and told him to be "bull dumb". I don't understand what Tom means when he's talking to Casy. Connie is starting to worry and wishing he'd stayed in Oklahoma and studied tractors, which made Rose of Sharon kind of mad, or sad. I can't believe those little kids just stood there when Tom told them to go on and they were pretty much begging for food. I know they were hungry, but I couldn't have stayed there staring at the Joad's. You can tell Ma has a soft heart because she let them eat what was left, even though she knew there wasn't enough. Floyd told Tom and Al about work up north, but Tom was a little sceptical about it because it was so far away. Then a "contractor" came and told everyone he needed workers, but Floyd knew what was up and tried warning people and they made up a lie that he was stealing at a used car lot so they could take him in. When they about left the deputy grabbed Floyd and Floyd hit him and took off running. Then Tom tripped the deputy who tried running after him, and the deputy shot at Floyd from laying on the ground, but missed and hit a woman's hand. Then Casy kicked him in the neck which made him unconscious. Casy told Tom to go hide so he wouldn't get into trouble. Casy ended up taking the blame. It kind of seems like he wanted to go to jail. I don't know if it is because he thinks he'll be fed there like Tom told him, or if he is doing it to help the Joad family stay together and he kept saying he owed them. Uncle John had to get drunk, which I thought was selfish because they needed money and he was wasting it. They decided to keep moving since they were going to be burned out of there that night anyway. Tom went to find drunk Uncle John before they could leave. Tom had to hit uncle John in the chin a few times to make him weaker because he said he wasn't going with. Tom then carried him back to Hooverville. I can't believe Connie left and didn't say anything to anyone. I wonder if he did go to get books and was going to come back and surprise them? I feel bad for Rose of Sharon because they leave without him. Why did they get a wrench and a jack just in case someone would try to climb on when that never happened before? Tom is starting to have increasing anger all the time now. I think the whole family is getting sick of everything, but Tom is showing it the most.
Chapter 21 talks about how everyone is changing because of the tractors pushing them out of Oklahoma. It also talks how the Californians were scared of the oakies, so they became cruel. They are scared of losing their land and jobs to oakies, which work for less money. I think this chapter shows how everyone is actually being effected right now, not just the oakies.
In chapter 22, they went to the camp and actually got a camp site! I was really surprised they actually got one because it was said to be full. It is unreal how nice the town sounds. It's hard to believe. They went to bed and Tom awoke first and went to a neighbors place and had a good breakfast with them and they even offered him to go with them to see if he could get work. They arrived a mile down the road from camp and the man did hire Tom, but explained they only get 25 cents an hour now instead of 30 cents. Thomas (employer) told them of the plan to have a fight in the camp on Saturday so the cops could go in and break the camp up. Then Tom, Wilkie, and Timothy went to work. I thought it was funny how Ruthie wouldn't go into the bathrooms until Winfield was there and how they thought he broke the toilet when he flushed it. When Ma found out about the woman committee, she got excited and grew frantic. The manager came to the Joad's tent and had a cup of coffee and Ma wouldn't hardly believe that he was just being nice and Pa didn't believe it at all. The men went to look for work and Rose of Sharon was the first to take a shower and was impressed by it and then Ma went and took one. Then a very strange woman was talking to Rose of Sharon. Why did she think the dancing and acting was such a sin? Rose of Sharon was already freaking out about hurting the baby and that lady didn't help at all. Then the manager tried to calm her. The ladies committee came and showed Rose of Sharon and Ma around. There was 3 of them, who rotated chairperson. Ruthie and Winfield found children playing and Ruthie just wanted to play and a girl said she'd have to wait until next game and something came over Ruthie. I wonder why she got so angry at the girl? The crazy lady came back and I don't know for sure, but she had a type of seizure. Ma is realizing how depressed she really is about losing the family members and of missing their old home and the way things used to be.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Grapes of Wrath ch.17-19
Chapter 17 talked about how people helped each other out in times of need. All families going west helped each other because that was all they had. They became families at night, helping and sharing stories. "And the camping place was ready for a new world in a new night." Meaning more and more families were going west and helping each other out in any possible way.
Chapter 18 they passed through Arizona, and finally arrived in California. They found a resting place with water and the men went swimming. There was a man and his son that also went swimming and they told the Joad's what California really was like. I don't understand why, after hearing about California being so horrible, the Joad's continue. I guess they would have nothing if they went back, but still I would be scared. Why not pick another state near California? They decided to leave that night so Tom went to go to sleep in some shade. That's when Noah told him he wasn't going to go on with them anymore. I found this odd, and that no one really went after him was weird too. They were kind of sad but they never went after him like they did grandpa. What was the purpose of Noah in the book anyway, if all he did was leave? Grandma is very sick and some lady arrived at the tent and asked to have a meeting with them, but ma said grandma was just tired from the drive, and didn't let them. I think she did this because she knew something was wrong, but was in denial. Then a policeman came and told ma that they had to leave before tomorrow or he was going to take them in to town. He called ma an Oakie and I think that shook her emotions. They decided to leave but the Wilson's decided to stay there because Sairy was dying. They had to stop at a agricultural check to make sure they didn't have any seeds or plants. Ma quickly got through by saying grandma was really sick and had to get her to a hospital and they took a look and decided to let them go on without a check. Grandma was really dead at this point. They arrived at the countryside of California where there was orange trees.
In chapter 19, I think it is talking about how people should pay more attention to their lives, and not let other people run them. They should take in the beauty of life and enjoy it, rather than hire people to do work, and not even know their land. They should have to work to produce their food, and they would appreciate it more. It also is saying how rich people don't need much because they have it all, but they won't even share with the poor, and the poor will actually help the poor, because they are good people. The Californians are scared that the people coming in will take their land because they took the land from other people and they know how easy it was. There is many more people coming in than landowners and the landowners realize this and are scared.
Chapter 18 they passed through Arizona, and finally arrived in California. They found a resting place with water and the men went swimming. There was a man and his son that also went swimming and they told the Joad's what California really was like. I don't understand why, after hearing about California being so horrible, the Joad's continue. I guess they would have nothing if they went back, but still I would be scared. Why not pick another state near California? They decided to leave that night so Tom went to go to sleep in some shade. That's when Noah told him he wasn't going to go on with them anymore. I found this odd, and that no one really went after him was weird too. They were kind of sad but they never went after him like they did grandpa. What was the purpose of Noah in the book anyway, if all he did was leave? Grandma is very sick and some lady arrived at the tent and asked to have a meeting with them, but ma said grandma was just tired from the drive, and didn't let them. I think she did this because she knew something was wrong, but was in denial. Then a policeman came and told ma that they had to leave before tomorrow or he was going to take them in to town. He called ma an Oakie and I think that shook her emotions. They decided to leave but the Wilson's decided to stay there because Sairy was dying. They had to stop at a agricultural check to make sure they didn't have any seeds or plants. Ma quickly got through by saying grandma was really sick and had to get her to a hospital and they took a look and decided to let them go on without a check. Grandma was really dead at this point. They arrived at the countryside of California where there was orange trees.
In chapter 19, I think it is talking about how people should pay more attention to their lives, and not let other people run them. They should take in the beauty of life and enjoy it, rather than hire people to do work, and not even know their land. They should have to work to produce their food, and they would appreciate it more. It also is saying how rich people don't need much because they have it all, but they won't even share with the poor, and the poor will actually help the poor, because they are good people. The Californians are scared that the people coming in will take their land because they took the land from other people and they know how easy it was. There is many more people coming in than landowners and the landowners realize this and are scared.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
My Mentor
My Mentor
Heidi Mehlberg
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” – Robert Frost. This is one of my mom’s favorite quotes and it describes her personality, and how she views life.
My mom has always been there for me, teaching me a great deal and showing me how to do a variety of events that will lead to success. She has shown me that hard work will pay off in the end. There have been times when I wanted to give up on something, but she wouldn’t let me because nobody should ever give up on anything. “Your dreams and goals are a major part of your life,” she says, therefore she believes I should work my hardest. She teaches that being organized leads to everything becoming easier in life, and success will lead to even more success in life.
People’s actions show their attitudes toward their surroundings and life. One thing that stands out that she’s taught me is to never care what people think. Also, don’t let people boss me around and tell me what to do with my life. I get mad easily, therefore she has tried teaching me not to “blow up” at people and not to let them “push my buttons.” I live in a small town, and I’ve learned people are bound to gossip because they have nothing better to do, and I’ve learned to ignore it because of my mom’s advice. There are people out there who believe they are better than the rest, but my mom has taught me that we are all equally important in the world.
In high school, every kid is faced with difficult decisions and my mom has always taught me to think about what I am doing and if it’s the right decision. Of course, peer pressure is another thing, following the crowd doesn’t have to be done if it’s the wrong thing to do.
My mom is very smart. She hasn’t only taught me things about school, work, success, people and friends; she has also taught me how to do different things. There are many things she has taught me about: food, cooking and baking. I can make almost all of her home cooked meals. She has also taught me more elaborate ways of cooking, such as freezing sweet corn and making and canning salsa. Not only have I learned to cook from her, but I have learned how to do household chores such as cleaning and doing the laundry. She is very knowledgeable about different things such as: how to make crafts, how to save money, how to do almost anything on the computer, how to collect antiques, and how to take care of children. All these things that I know, I learned about them from her, some things more than others.
My mom has also taught me to love and care for people. The way that she loves and takes care of my sisters and me, I know we have all learned to be like her in many ways. She expresses great devotion to her family and it is easily recognized. I am thankful that she is a caring person; otherwise my family and friendship towards other people would not be what it is today. I look up to my mom because of all the wonderful things she has accomplished and because of how much she loves my family and me. I admire how we always come first to her.
Another wonderful quote by Robert Frost that sums up what my mom has taught me is, “Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.” That quote holds true to everything she has taught me in life.
Heidi Mehlberg
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” – Robert Frost. This is one of my mom’s favorite quotes and it describes her personality, and how she views life.
My mom has always been there for me, teaching me a great deal and showing me how to do a variety of events that will lead to success. She has shown me that hard work will pay off in the end. There have been times when I wanted to give up on something, but she wouldn’t let me because nobody should ever give up on anything. “Your dreams and goals are a major part of your life,” she says, therefore she believes I should work my hardest. She teaches that being organized leads to everything becoming easier in life, and success will lead to even more success in life.
People’s actions show their attitudes toward their surroundings and life. One thing that stands out that she’s taught me is to never care what people think. Also, don’t let people boss me around and tell me what to do with my life. I get mad easily, therefore she has tried teaching me not to “blow up” at people and not to let them “push my buttons.” I live in a small town, and I’ve learned people are bound to gossip because they have nothing better to do, and I’ve learned to ignore it because of my mom’s advice. There are people out there who believe they are better than the rest, but my mom has taught me that we are all equally important in the world.
In high school, every kid is faced with difficult decisions and my mom has always taught me to think about what I am doing and if it’s the right decision. Of course, peer pressure is another thing, following the crowd doesn’t have to be done if it’s the wrong thing to do.
My mom is very smart. She hasn’t only taught me things about school, work, success, people and friends; she has also taught me how to do different things. There are many things she has taught me about: food, cooking and baking. I can make almost all of her home cooked meals. She has also taught me more elaborate ways of cooking, such as freezing sweet corn and making and canning salsa. Not only have I learned to cook from her, but I have learned how to do household chores such as cleaning and doing the laundry. She is very knowledgeable about different things such as: how to make crafts, how to save money, how to do almost anything on the computer, how to collect antiques, and how to take care of children. All these things that I know, I learned about them from her, some things more than others.
My mom has also taught me to love and care for people. The way that she loves and takes care of my sisters and me, I know we have all learned to be like her in many ways. She expresses great devotion to her family and it is easily recognized. I am thankful that she is a caring person; otherwise my family and friendship towards other people would not be what it is today. I look up to my mom because of all the wonderful things she has accomplished and because of how much she loves my family and me. I admire how we always come first to her.
Another wonderful quote by Robert Frost that sums up what my mom has taught me is, “Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.” That quote holds true to everything she has taught me in life.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Grapes of Wrath ch. 14-16
Chapter 14 talks about how they're moving and the land and people are changing. I think it symbolizes a new life for the people. The narrator kept saying how it was "our land" not just one person's land. And it is also saying how people need to think of each other, not just themselves. But a good quote that was in the book was "For the quality of owning freezes you forever into "I" and cuts you off forever from the "we." I think it means people become greedy and selfish at times when they own stuff. They keep repeating "The western states are nervous under the beginning change." I think they keep repeating this because the people moving to California aren't the only nervous ones.
Chapter 15 confused me, but usually on chapters like this the Joad's come into contact with the people. So I think the family with two boys, the cafe, or the two truck drivers will interact later on with the Joad family and the Wilson's. I think this chapter was mainly symbolizing how people help the needy like Mae and Al did by letting that family get cheap food and the truck drivers leaving more money than necessary. I don't get it when two more truck drivers come in and they have the same conversation. Maybe it is possibly meaning that everything is continually the same? I think it's unfair that Al watches the slot machines so he knows when they'll be winners. I think he should let the people win because some poor family might win.
Chapter 16 Rose of Sharon tells her mom about her and Connie's plans of getting a house and making a good life for themselves and Connie would study at night courses in radio. Ma was a little annoyed by this because she wanted to keep the family together. Then the car broke down and Tom and his father decided it would be best if they continued and then they would catch up later in California. I don't understand how they think they would be able to catch up with each other because California is so big and you could take any road in California and still not be able to find them. Ma realized this and put her foot down and said they weren't going to do that whatsoever. Then they decided to go camp further up the road where there was water, while Tom and Casey stayed and worked on the car until Al came back to pick them up to go get parts. They ended up meeting a guy working at the car place and he didn't have one eye and he kept saying stuff to make them feel bad for him but Tom just told him to stop complaining and do something about it. I felt bad for the guy but Tom had a point, but he was a little harsh. They got the part and put it in that night and drove to the family's resting place. They were surprised to see the men back as soon as they were. Then there was a man that tried warning them, and then Pa got a little worried about going, but they never told Ma. Grandma is starting to loose it. I think there will be a few more disasters before they get to California. And I also realized tension between the family is rising and anger comes with the snap of a finger sometimes.
Chapter 15 confused me, but usually on chapters like this the Joad's come into contact with the people. So I think the family with two boys, the cafe, or the two truck drivers will interact later on with the Joad family and the Wilson's. I think this chapter was mainly symbolizing how people help the needy like Mae and Al did by letting that family get cheap food and the truck drivers leaving more money than necessary. I don't get it when two more truck drivers come in and they have the same conversation. Maybe it is possibly meaning that everything is continually the same? I think it's unfair that Al watches the slot machines so he knows when they'll be winners. I think he should let the people win because some poor family might win.
Chapter 16 Rose of Sharon tells her mom about her and Connie's plans of getting a house and making a good life for themselves and Connie would study at night courses in radio. Ma was a little annoyed by this because she wanted to keep the family together. Then the car broke down and Tom and his father decided it would be best if they continued and then they would catch up later in California. I don't understand how they think they would be able to catch up with each other because California is so big and you could take any road in California and still not be able to find them. Ma realized this and put her foot down and said they weren't going to do that whatsoever. Then they decided to go camp further up the road where there was water, while Tom and Casey stayed and worked on the car until Al came back to pick them up to go get parts. They ended up meeting a guy working at the car place and he didn't have one eye and he kept saying stuff to make them feel bad for him but Tom just told him to stop complaining and do something about it. I felt bad for the guy but Tom had a point, but he was a little harsh. They got the part and put it in that night and drove to the family's resting place. They were surprised to see the men back as soon as they were. Then there was a man that tried warning them, and then Pa got a little worried about going, but they never told Ma. Grandma is starting to loose it. I think there will be a few more disasters before they get to California. And I also realized tension between the family is rising and anger comes with the snap of a finger sometimes.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Grapes of Wrath ch. 9-13
In chapter 9, it talks about them going to town and selling their stuff. They aren't very experienced sellers because the buyers pretty much stole their goods because they didn't get as much money as they were worth. I don't understand why they let the buyers get away with what they did because the Joad's knew that the stuff was worth more than what they were offered.
In chapter 10, Tom and his mom are talking about California and I don't understand the part that Tom seemed to know more about California than he was telling the family. If he knew something bad about California, why didn't he tell them? The preacher decided to go with the Joads', but how is there that much room in the vehicle for the whole family and their possessions? Then we met Rose of Sharon and Connie when the truck got back from selling their goods. They only got $18 on what they sold. I also wonder why it was all Al's responsibility for the maintenance of the truck. They had a meeting and decided when to go to California. Then after supper they changed their minds and wanted to leave the next morning at sunrise. There was a part in this chapter that talked about John always feeling guilty about stuff that he did and then he would buy the kids gum and do free deeds to people, I don't understand why he thinks that way. They salted the pig, and the preacher asked mom if she wanted him to do that while she got other stuff ready and that made her uneasy because it was a woman's job, but she let him. I thought it was sad when she went into the other room and pulled out a little box full of stuff that was meaningful to her and she had to pick only some things out of it and burn the rest. They packed the truck, but I have no idea how they fit everything in it. Then Muley showed up to say good bye, and then grandpa came up to the house and told everyone he wasn't going to go. He was so excited to go but then reality set in. I thought it was funny how they got the grandpa "drunk" and into the vehicle to go along. They left two dogs with Muley and everyone else loaded up and left for California. I don't understand why Tom is going if he is on parole and he knows he's not supposed to go.
In chapter 11, I like how it starts out. The way the horse is life when it's working and even when it's done and steps into the barn, it is still alive, but when a tractor is done working, it is simply turned off, dead. It shows how proud the people are of their land they once lived on and how much it meant to them. It then describes the empty house being taken over by nature. I think this symbolizes something but I am not sure what exactly.
In chapter 12, it starts off talking how everyone fleeing the country takes Highway 66 to California. It goes on explaining the hard times people faced just to get out to California. I would be scared if I were them because so many things could happen to the vehicle or the family. When they talked about the 12 people getting a ride from someone who drove them out to California and fed them along the way, was it talking about the Joads'? Maybe in the next chapter we will find out.
In chapter 13, I had some questions come up. One of them is why California, there are other places to go that have alot of job openings. The next one is why is Tom going if he knows he'll get into trouble if he's caught? Why is he taking such risks? The family stopped by a gas station and their dog got ran over. Then they kept going and they pulled up to an old car that people were camping by and they asked if they could camp along side them. The people turned out to be nice people and they let grandpa lay down on their bed. He then had a stroke and died. They decided to bury him there because of their money situation. I wonder what would happen to them if people found grandpa buried there? They put a note with him saying he wasn't murdered but no one can prove that. The preacher said how grandpa died with the land when he had to leave it and it was a good symbolization because it was their lives. They decided to help the Wilson's get to California and it also helped them out so the truck wouldn't be so full and it might actually make it now. Sairy Wilson is sick, and I am predicting she will die soon because at the end of the chapter it said how she wasn't sleeping she just braced her body firmly against the pain.
In chapter 10, Tom and his mom are talking about California and I don't understand the part that Tom seemed to know more about California than he was telling the family. If he knew something bad about California, why didn't he tell them? The preacher decided to go with the Joads', but how is there that much room in the vehicle for the whole family and their possessions? Then we met Rose of Sharon and Connie when the truck got back from selling their goods. They only got $18 on what they sold. I also wonder why it was all Al's responsibility for the maintenance of the truck. They had a meeting and decided when to go to California. Then after supper they changed their minds and wanted to leave the next morning at sunrise. There was a part in this chapter that talked about John always feeling guilty about stuff that he did and then he would buy the kids gum and do free deeds to people, I don't understand why he thinks that way. They salted the pig, and the preacher asked mom if she wanted him to do that while she got other stuff ready and that made her uneasy because it was a woman's job, but she let him. I thought it was sad when she went into the other room and pulled out a little box full of stuff that was meaningful to her and she had to pick only some things out of it and burn the rest. They packed the truck, but I have no idea how they fit everything in it. Then Muley showed up to say good bye, and then grandpa came up to the house and told everyone he wasn't going to go. He was so excited to go but then reality set in. I thought it was funny how they got the grandpa "drunk" and into the vehicle to go along. They left two dogs with Muley and everyone else loaded up and left for California. I don't understand why Tom is going if he is on parole and he knows he's not supposed to go.
In chapter 11, I like how it starts out. The way the horse is life when it's working and even when it's done and steps into the barn, it is still alive, but when a tractor is done working, it is simply turned off, dead. It shows how proud the people are of their land they once lived on and how much it meant to them. It then describes the empty house being taken over by nature. I think this symbolizes something but I am not sure what exactly.
In chapter 12, it starts off talking how everyone fleeing the country takes Highway 66 to California. It goes on explaining the hard times people faced just to get out to California. I would be scared if I were them because so many things could happen to the vehicle or the family. When they talked about the 12 people getting a ride from someone who drove them out to California and fed them along the way, was it talking about the Joads'? Maybe in the next chapter we will find out.
In chapter 13, I had some questions come up. One of them is why California, there are other places to go that have alot of job openings. The next one is why is Tom going if he knows he'll get into trouble if he's caught? Why is he taking such risks? The family stopped by a gas station and their dog got ran over. Then they kept going and they pulled up to an old car that people were camping by and they asked if they could camp along side them. The people turned out to be nice people and they let grandpa lay down on their bed. He then had a stroke and died. They decided to bury him there because of their money situation. I wonder what would happen to them if people found grandpa buried there? They put a note with him saying he wasn't murdered but no one can prove that. The preacher said how grandpa died with the land when he had to leave it and it was a good symbolization because it was their lives. They decided to help the Wilson's get to California and it also helped them out so the truck wouldn't be so full and it might actually make it now. Sairy Wilson is sick, and I am predicting she will die soon because at the end of the chapter it said how she wasn't sleeping she just braced her body firmly against the pain.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Grapes of Wrath ch. 5-8
In chapter 5, spokesmen for the land came to talk to the families about how they had to get off the land because it wasn't theirs, it was the banks. They kept saying how the "monster" was making this all happen. They were calling the bank the "monster." They were told to leave or their house would just be run over by a machine that was planting cotton. The tenants were kind of mad because the person who was planting the cotton grew up just like all the others have. The Joads' house actually got part of it knocked in by the machine. They were saying how they stole the land from the Indians, and now the bank was taking the land from them, so it is the same thing, but they cared when the bank took their land, but they didn't care when they stole the land from the Native Americans and I think alot of people have had this happen where they don't really care until it happens to them, then it is a horrible thing to do.
In chapter 6, the preacher and Tom went and looked around at the abandoned farm site. Tom thought it was weird that nobody was there, but all the doors, windows, and wood weren't stolen from the house. Then Muley Graves showed up, and he explained that Tom's family had gone to his Uncle John's house, until they had enough money to get to California. Muley told them how he just wanders around because his family left him to go to California and he didn't want to go because the people told him he had to. Why wouldn't he have just went with his family. I understand because he said he would have if they wouldn't have told him he had to, which reminds me of alot of people that I know. But wouldn't he want to keep his family together at a time like this? They were hungry and Muley had some rabbits that he had caught in a trap, so they skinned them and made a fire and cooked them while the sat around and talked. A car came Muley talked them into hiding in the cotton. I don't quite understand why Tom and the preacher went to hide, but I do understand why Muley did because they were after him. Then once the car came and put out the fire and spot lighted in the cotton for them, they decided to go to sleep. Muley showed them where he had been sleeping in a cave that Tom and his brother had made.
In chapter 7, it talked about the cars sales people ripping off ordinary people so they could get more money for their cars, which are bad. I thought that was rude because the ordinary people don't have much right now, and the cars salesmen knew that. So I think, this chapter is meaning they sold the Joads' a bad car. I don't know why the salesmen would try to rip all these people off so badly when they don't have hardly anything to begin with.
In chapter 8, Tom and the preacher took off to John's house. I predicted the family wouldn't be at John's. I thought they would already be gone, on their way to California by now. But they arrived at the house and everyone was glad Tom was back, but they all thought he broke out of prison at first. It sounded like they were going to say that Tom's grandpa or grandma died, but they were both still alive. They reconnected most of the chapter. They had breakfast and the preacher gave grace. Then they went out to get more stuff ready to sell in town. Then his brother Al came home and old Tom Joad told him that he had to haul more stuff to town that day to sell. I wonder why they just let Al run around when all this stuff is happening with their family. And I wonder why Al wouldn't want to stay around to help.
In chapter 6, the preacher and Tom went and looked around at the abandoned farm site. Tom thought it was weird that nobody was there, but all the doors, windows, and wood weren't stolen from the house. Then Muley Graves showed up, and he explained that Tom's family had gone to his Uncle John's house, until they had enough money to get to California. Muley told them how he just wanders around because his family left him to go to California and he didn't want to go because the people told him he had to. Why wouldn't he have just went with his family. I understand because he said he would have if they wouldn't have told him he had to, which reminds me of alot of people that I know. But wouldn't he want to keep his family together at a time like this? They were hungry and Muley had some rabbits that he had caught in a trap, so they skinned them and made a fire and cooked them while the sat around and talked. A car came Muley talked them into hiding in the cotton. I don't quite understand why Tom and the preacher went to hide, but I do understand why Muley did because they were after him. Then once the car came and put out the fire and spot lighted in the cotton for them, they decided to go to sleep. Muley showed them where he had been sleeping in a cave that Tom and his brother had made.
In chapter 7, it talked about the cars sales people ripping off ordinary people so they could get more money for their cars, which are bad. I thought that was rude because the ordinary people don't have much right now, and the cars salesmen knew that. So I think, this chapter is meaning they sold the Joads' a bad car. I don't know why the salesmen would try to rip all these people off so badly when they don't have hardly anything to begin with.
In chapter 8, Tom and the preacher took off to John's house. I predicted the family wouldn't be at John's. I thought they would already be gone, on their way to California by now. But they arrived at the house and everyone was glad Tom was back, but they all thought he broke out of prison at first. It sounded like they were going to say that Tom's grandpa or grandma died, but they were both still alive. They reconnected most of the chapter. They had breakfast and the preacher gave grace. Then they went out to get more stuff ready to sell in town. Then his brother Al came home and old Tom Joad told him that he had to haul more stuff to town that day to sell. I wonder why they just let Al run around when all this stuff is happening with their family. And I wonder why Al wouldn't want to stay around to help.
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