The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, is a story that takes place during America’s dreadful period of depression. Due to misunderstanding the nature of the entire situation, Steinbeck writes this novel to shine some light on the people about the great migration westward. This novel portrays the life of the Joad family who go through the harsh struggles of poverty and migration. They are forced to leave their drought stricken land in Oklahoma, hoping to find work in California, which to them is the land of opportunity, but soon they find out the horrors behind the picturesque