The Land as Identity

Explores the theme of land as a source of identity and the trauma of displacement.

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The Attachment to the Land

The Roots Grampa's Refusal Grampa Joad refuses to leave. He says, "This here's my country." The land is part of him. He dies when forced to leave. The Tenant's Speech The tenant men argue that the land is theirs because they were born on it, worked it, died on it. Ownership is not a paper. The Loss Losing the land is like losing a part of themselves. The Joads are uprooted. Their identity is shattered.

The Search for a New Home

The Hope The Promised Land California is seen as a new Eden. The migrants hope to find land again. They dream of little white houses. The Disillusionment California is not a promised land. The land is owned by the few. The migrants are homeless. They cannot put down roots. The Longing The Joads long for a place to call home. The land remains a symbol of identity. Without it, they are adrift.

The New Identity

The Transformation The Loss of Home The Joads no longer have a physical home. They are migrants. Their identity is now tied to movement. The New Community They find identity in the community of migrants. The land is no longer the source. People are. The Final Scene In the barn, the family is homeless but connected. Their identity is now based on humanity, not land.

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