These chapters were awesome. At least chapter seventeen was awesome. Chapter eighteen was good, but I didn't think it was as good as seventeen. Seventeen was about the campsites the various families formed at night along the road. It described them as little self-contained worlds. As the night went on, they became family. That's really the only good and constant thing about a journey like the one these people undertook. You're never far from finding family. Steinbeck compares it to something akin to the bond of people in a traveling circus. I think that's exactly right. The constant traveling might wear you down, but you know there's always family close at hand. That's part of what drew me to the circus when I went through my "run away and join the circus" phase. And part of why it was so hard to shake.
In chapter eighteen the family finally reaches the lush land of California that they were headed to when they first started out. Before that, they stop at a steady stream to rest before they tackle the desert that night. Granma's not well, and the family worries. Noah runs of downstream because he knows the rest of the family feels guilty about him being so different. I was kind of surprised at this. It just didn't seem to me like Noah had it in him to defy the family like that and run away. That was probably why the only person he told was Tom. I'm going to miss him. He was probably my second favorite character next to Tom. I hope he survives.
Granma dies in this chapter. I don't really have reaction to this event. It was a long time coming and the surprise wore off a long time ago. At least she gets to be buried in the beautiful California. Ma had a lot of strength, I thought, to stay with Granma's dead body all night, just so she wouldn't worry the rest of the family. It's obvious she loves them very much.
No comments:
Post a Comment