Why Visual Media?

We chose to take a closer look at visual forms of media in an effort to figure out how so many "Okies" like the Joads could abandon their (admittedly pretty crappy) lives in favor of the unknown. While the "han'bills" that Pa Joad and others clung to in the text are certainly not the sole motivating factor behind their expedition, their frequent inclusion in the text caught our attention. In this exhibit, we'll investigate the power of influence by examining artifacts that attempted to appeal to the sensibilities of struggling Midwest farmers - presenting California as an extremely alluring destination. These artifacts: things migrant farmers might have seen in their original homes, along the road, or even on the West Coast, impacted the individual and collective consciousness' of thousands of people. Hopefully, by digging a little deeper, we'll end up with a better understanding of the various levels of manipulation and gullability behind Steinbeck's characters, and the farmers they were based upon.