Exploration 5: "The Unforgiving Realities of California"

"You ain't gonna get steady work. Gonna scrabble for your dinner ever' day. An' you gonna do her with people lookin' mean at you."

The most important idea from this chapter is the lost hope that arriving in California brings. Once they reach the banks of the river they find a man and a son who have been there for a while and have been unsuccessful in their efforts. Pa asks if they've got a steady job set up and if they're headed out west. They said they've come and are leaving due to the fact that there's no real work and they're afraid of dying for the inability to provide for themselves. This worries Pa because this is the second time he has heard that California has nothing to offer. It is now apparent to the Joads that California is not what they expected. Despite their skepticism they continue on that night, they have come too far to go back.

A second idea that was important in this chapter was the separation of the family. Grandma falls ill and is sent to bed rest while the rest of the family is bathing and ready to continue on with their travels. She has become weak since grandpa died and is getting worn out by the traveling. The tough terrain of the southwest is taking a toll on everyone and when they reach California the journey is still not over. They leave the river bank where they have been bathing and leave behind the Wilsons. Tom also informs Ma that Noah has run off. Ma states that the family is coming apart and for good reason. They have already lost grandpa and now grandma is ill and Noah is nowhere to be found. When they reach the valley Ma realizes Grandma has been dead for most of the trip from the river. She is so taken back by the loss that she stays with grandmas body for the rest of the night.

Wisdom is a valuable asset to have in one's life. Wisdom is the knowledge and know how that is attained from experience or awareness to a situation. The difference between wisdom and knowledge is the way we attain the learned experience. Knowledge can be taught and is usually attained in a formal setting while wisdom is learned from experience and taken from the insight into other's ideas and experiences. If I need words of wisdom i can rely on my Dad. He once told me that a wise man does not learn by his own mistakes, but by the mistakes of others. I try to apply this to my life by being aware of what can go wrong and trying to avoid actions that will bring me there.