The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, is a novel about the Dust Bowl migration. It is the story of one Oklahoma farm family, the Joads, and it is also the story of thousands of similar men and women. The Joads are forced off their land, so they move West to California. When they reach California, they are faced with the harsh reality that it is no the Promised Land. Steinbeck's purpose in writing The Grapes of Wrath was to inform the public of the migrants' plight hoping that it would cause social change. Steinbeck employs the theme of the rich versus the poor to accomplish his purpose. It is a classic conflict between good, portrayed by the poor, and evil, portra