Why was it called 'The Grapes of Wrath'? - The Grapes of Wrath (1940) Discussion

[–] heyuactor 11 years ago

Rev. 14:18,19. There are grapes and wine and wrath (of God). I may be wrong but it's seems that's where it comes from, a reference to Armageddon, and judgement. Maybe Steinbeck was indicating what would be the penalty for mistreating others. IDK.

"Did you make coffee...? Make it!"--Cheyenne.

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[–] jmsocool 11 years ago

I read someplace that it's a reference to the song Battle Hymn of the Republic, "my eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord. He is trampling down the vintage where The Grapes of Wrath are stored." I don't think I have that exactly right. And the song itself may very well be referencing a Biblical passage.

"My girlfriend sucked 37 d*cks!"
"In a row?"

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[–] michael-weizmann2 11 years ago

There's a great poem online about The Grapes!

Just type in "newgrapesofwrath" into your address bar.

I liked its Old Testament flavor. A lot.

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[–] glennrhoads 8 years ago

You're close but the exact quote is
"Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord.
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored."

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[–] michael-weizmann2 11 years ago

Yes, perhaps a "penalty for mistreating others".

There's a powerful and very amusing poem about this and GRAPES, online, at

www.newgrapesofwrath.com

I especially liked its Old Testament character portrayals, its poetic mastery---and the prophetic denoument.

Them women sure need the most careful watching!

Life-long, if not eternally.

Warm regards,

MICHAEL

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[–] michael-weizmann2 11 years ago

The link I have given above appears to have a problem. But I got to the poem by typing www.newgrapesofwrath.com into my google chrome address bar.

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[–] michael-weizmann2 11 years ago

Type "newgrapesofwrath" into your address bar to get to a deep and amusing poem about OT judgment in respect of Grapes.

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[–] strummerrr 11 years ago

BTW, the title was Steinbeck's wife's idea.

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[–] henryeather 11 years ago

Maybe because they were picking fruit and were treated so poorly by the landowners. The fruit came from poisoned trees.

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[–] michael-weizmann2 11 years ago

Poisoned trees? Interesting.

Lost of things can curse a vineyard.

Have a look at the amazing poem about it online; by typing "newgrapesofwrath" into your address bar.

I liked it a lot. Especially the wrap-up.

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[–] flaeddie1 11 years ago

The fruit of the angry is how I translate the poetic title. Here you have all these people picking peaches for a living, when they all once owned their own farms.

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[–] michael-weizmann2 11 years ago

There's a very classy and deep poem about this online.

Just type "newgrapesofwrath" into you address bar.

I liked its Old Testament feel a lot.

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[–] SuperWittySmitty 10 years ago

Wait, what should I do?

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[–] CornelisdeVos 11 years ago

I am currently reading the novel and I can safely say that the title is from the book. As someone has stated, the idea of naming the book "The Grapes of Wrath" reportedly came from Steinbeck's wife, but the phrase appears in one passage of the book where the narrator explains the hardships of all the people forced to work for slave wages. Or simply forced to no work at all.

The passage is found in one of the few explanatory and somewhat "poetic" chapters of the book, and illustrates how the
poverty and unemployment brings people to desperation, anger and "wrath".

Since the story is set in California, grapes are a common crop alongside peaches and cotton which also appear in the book.

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[–] PussyCrusher_Principal 11 years ago

I should probably keep my mouth shut without having all my facts 100% straight, but I seem to remember a passage from the book where there is a field, surrounded by armed guards, where there exists a pile of produce rotting, which is designed to raise the market value, yet there are people all around starving, and this is where Steinbeck uses the title phrase powerfully...it's got strong anti-capitalist feeling, coming so soon after the crash, and during the Depression. I can't remember EXACTLY how he puts it, but the sentiment is that stuff like this cannot go on without retribution from The People.

"I wrote a poem on a dog biscuit;
And your dog refused to look at it..."

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[–] objviewer 10 years ago

In the book quote appears in the chapter describing the vicious capitalist economics of destroying food amongst the starving rather than sell it (or give it away) at a loss.
"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage".

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[–] joao_dz6 9 years ago

Maybe a reference to Mark 12: 1-9

"And he began to speak unto them by parables. A {certain} man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about {it}, and digged {a place for} the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.
And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.
And they caught {him}, and beat him, and sent {him} away empty.
And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded {him} in the head, and sent {him} away shamefully handled.
And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.
Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.
But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.
And they took him, and killed {him}, and cast {him} out of the vineyard.
What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others."

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[–] cookieman108 8 years ago

Why was it called 'The Grapes of Wrath'?

Who the hell would want to see something called 'The Peaches of Wrath'?

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[–] judsonkr 8 years ago

Or:

"The Grapes of Anger"

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