Man vs. Nature

Traces the conflict between the migrants and the natural forces of drought, dust, desert, and flood.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Dust Bowl

The Drought The Dust Storms The novel opens with a description of the dust storms that ruined the Oklahoma farmland. The land is dry, the crops fail. The Joads are forced off their land. The Impact The dust is a constant presence. It gets into everything. The people wear handkerchiefs over their faces. The land becomes uninhabitable. The Exodus The dust drives the migration. The Joads are part of a mass exodus. Nature has turned against them. They must leave or starve.

The Desert Crossing

The Heat The Mojave Desert The Joads must cross the Mojave Desert. The heat is intense. The truck's engine boils. They drive at night to survive. The desert is a deadly obstacle. The Water Shortage Water is scarce. They must buy it at high prices. The family is constantly thirsty. The desert tests their endurance. The Survival They make it across, but Granma Joad dies. The desert claims a life. Nature is an adversary that must be conquered.

The Flood

The Rain The Winter Rains The winter rains come early. The stream rises and floods the boxcar camp. The family's possessions are ruined. The flood is a final blow. The Levee The men try to build a levee, but it breaks. Nature is too powerful. The family is forced to flee. The Aftermath The flood leads to the stillbirth and the family's dispersal. Nature has defeated them. But they survive, stripped of everything.

beginning of the novel

during the journey

near the end of the novel