Status Of Animals In The 1930s

This exhibit will examine the different and various kinds of pets that families had during the time period in which The Grapes of Wrath takes place which is during the 1930s. This exhibit will also examine the status of animals, in regards to the Dust Bowl and what families did with their pets when migrating to new cities in hopes of a better future. Did they just leave their pets when travelling? Did their pets travel with them? The Grapes of Wrath portrays animals to have a deeper thematic issue in the novel, and can represent strongly how the people are portrayed, such as Tom Joad. Animals like turtles, and dogs are constantly brought up in this novel, and even have their own chapters where the narrator talks about these animals and their movements.

At the early stages of the Joad family's travels, dogs played a significant role in Grapes of Wrath for the Joads. John Steinbeck uses the importance of the Joad dog to foreshadow the reality of the Joad family as well. Even early in the journey the Joads suffer a tragic loss, if one less significant than an actual family member. The family dog becomes the first victim of this on the journey. Its early death, dying before the Joads even reach the Oklahoma border, can foreshadows the further losses that the family may suffer on their journey to California.