The Importance of Dogs
The Great Depression took place almost 80 years ago. People lost their jobs and started to wonder what to do for their families. A lot of them thought of moving West in hopes of a better chance of working. Animals and pets during the Great Depression was a crucial part for a family. Unfortunately, since families did not have the money or even time to take care of their pets, sick or badly injured animals were left to allow nature to take it's course, or put out of their misery with a bullet. Anesthetics, painkillers and antibiotics were too expensive to "waste" on an animal. Families had many types of pets especially in a farm type environment, most families were known to have dogs, and others had more livestock animals as well such as horses, sheep, pigs, etc. Here is photo taken of a Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Miller and their pet dog during the start of the Great Depression.
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 pretty rough and tragic loss, even if it is just their pet, they suffer the grief of their family pet. The Joads family dog becomes the first sufferer of this on their journey. Its quick death, dying before the Joads even reach the Oklahoma border, can foreshadow the further losses and pains that the family may go through on their journey to California.