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John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath is one of the most renowned literary works written during and about the Great Depression. The story follows the Joad family, tenant farmers who leave their land in Oklahoma because of drought and poverty. They travel west in search of a better life in California. The novel shows the suffering that many people experienced during this time.

You will now view a documentary film produced by University of California Television -- Trampling Out the Vintage: Reflections on John Steinbeck and "The Grapes of Wrath" -- that features archival material and noted Steinbeck scholars exploring the history of Steinbeck's novel. This film is approximately 30 minutes long.

After you have viewed this documentary, read the following paragraph, then complete one of the assignment options below:

An offended farmer is quoted in the film as asking librarians to tell readers that The Grapes of Wrath is "a work of fiction -- not historical." Yet the scholars in the film argue that the book does fairly accurately portray a certain slice of American life during the Great Depression.

Option 1:

Write an essay about the ways in which literature can help inform our understanding of historical events and themes, and offer thoughts about its limits. If possible, use The Grapes of Wrath as a basis for your essay -- describe its use for study of the Great Depression, Dust Bowl, migrant farm workers, and more.

Option 2:

Answer the following questions in a short essay:

How might the historical background (and information about Steinbeck) from the documentary help students better understand The Grapes of Wrath?
How might you use these two resources -- the documentary and the novel -- together to teach students specifically about the Dust Bowl, Depression, migrant farm workers, and strikes, and even introduce the political themes of communism and socialism?
Is there a way to make use of this short documentary in the classroom without having students read the full novel of The Grapes of Wrath?

Option 3:

Write three to five focus questions for students viewing the documentary that will guide them toward further investigation of Depression era topics.

Optional

If time allows, you may choose to view the celebrated film version of The Grapes of Wrath (1940) to extend your exploration of the Great Depression through Steinbeck's story.

After you watch the film, discuss these questions with colleagues or reflect on them in your journal.

Does the film represent a limited point of view? Is it a metaphor for what was going on in the entire country, or is it only applicable to "Okies" going to California?
How does the film illustrate the difficulties people faced during the Depression and the different coping strategies they developed?
How does the film portray the different groups of people with competing interests who came into conflict as a result of the economic downturn?
In what ways might the acting and directing styles of the 1930s make the film less accessible to contemporary viewers? On the other hand, how might the black and white presentation lend an air of documentary-style authenticity to contemporary viewers?
What conclusions can you draw (or might your students draw) from the film about what it was like to be poor during the Depression?

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