The Grapes of Wrath Gender Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

The women and the children watched their men talking to the owner men. They were silent. (5.2)

Why do you think Steinbeck describes families in this way? Do you believe that the gender roles in these families are as clearly defined as this description reveals them to be? How does this description make you feel as a reader?

Quote #5

They knew that a man so hurt and so perplexed may turn in anger, even on the people he loves. They left the men alone to figure and to wonder in the dust. (5.37)

Are the women hurt and perplexed? How do women who are hurt and perplexed behave in this novel?

Quote #6

The men were ruthless because the past had been spoiled, but the women knew how the past would cry to them in the coming days. (9.1)

The past never goes away. What relationships do characters in this novel have with the past? Do female characters tend to be more nostalgic than men?