Wrathful Grapes

The books we have to read for American Studies are usually quite depressing.

CAUTION: SPOILER ALERT
Book #1: The Jungle -- An immmigrant family from Eastern Europe comes to work/live in Chicago's infamous Packingtown. [insert tough times, gruesome descriptions of the industry, death of family members, and eventual salvation through Socialism here].

Book #2: The Great Gatsby -- Story of the immoral lifestyles of the rich in the Roaring Twenties. [insert adultery, yearning love, murder with automobile, murder with gun, suicide here].

And Book #3: The Grapes of Wrath -- I'm only about halfway through the book, but it definitely is a Debbie Downer. Lots of description of dust, losing the family farm... oh and the total body count so far is a grand total of 3 (including the dog, who manages to suffer a graphic end).





But honestly, it really isn't too bad. John Steinbeck (The author of GoW) has a definite style of writing that takes some getting used to. Unfortunately, most of the people I know are ready to burn the book with its meticulous descriptions that take pages and pages (There is, in fact, an entire chapter on the journey of a turtle on the highway), but I actually enjoy the wording that Steinbeck uses. Sure it's more words to read, but the visual images that seem to pop straight from the pages make up for all of it.

However, there is the bane of all required reading in English.

Character/plot/symbol charts.

How am I supposed to enjoy a classic novel when I am forced to put the book down every 2 minutes to pick up my pencil and spend valuable reading time writing down a quote that will in no way benefit me down the line? How can I savor the words describing the tribulations of the unlucky Joad family when I am constantly searching the pages for biblical allusions or examples of symbolism?

And the ever present question of high school: How the hell is this going to help me in real life?

Just let me read my goddamn book.