“For Gallantry In Defeat":A Study On The Community In Steinbeck’s Workers Trilogy

Among all the works of Steinbeck,the Workers Trilogy,consisting of In Dubious Battle,Of Mice and Men and The Grape of Wrath,achieves the greatest success.The three novels portray the miserable lives of American migrant workers during the Great Depression in the 1930s,in which Steinbeck exposes social problems and expresses strong sympathy towards those who are exploited.This thesis intends to focus on Steinbeck’s view on community,which critics have not made a comprehensive research on and discussion about so far.In the Workers Trilogy,all the laborers have a burning desire to unite as a community,helping each other and fighting together for a better life.The three novels describe three different communities,recording how people form communities to revolt against the oppression and strive for survival.However,the vulnerability of communities is obviously reflected in the novels where all of the communities disintegrate in the end.The thesis is aimed at answering the following questions:How many kinds of communities are depicted in the trilogy?What are the common and respective features of the communities in the novels?What are the reasons for the establishment of these communities?What challenges are the communities faced with and why do they collapse?Is there any possibility to establish a new community after the disintegration of the old one?It will help us understand better Steinbeck’s view on community reflected in his Workers Trilogy if we can answer those questions.And then,we will get deeper insight into Steinbeck’s criticism of capitalism,his concern for the migrant laborers and his expectation for the harmony between people.This thesis,based on close reading with the help of the approach of cultural studies,borrows light from the community theories from Tonnies to Bauman.It conducts a detailed analysis of the various communities in the trilogy,the conflicts and crises within the communities there,and the reasons for their collapse.The possible way for a community to survive is also discussed at the end of the thesis.The thesis consists of five parts.Introduction,the first part,includes a brief introduction of Steinbeck and his Workers Trilogy,literature review,a brief discussion on community theories,and the purpose and meaning of the study.The first chapter analyzes the proletariat community in In Dubious Battle,which is made up of Communist Party members and migrant laborers.They are united together and revolt against the exploitation and oppression.The thesis focuses on the motivation for the community and the reason for its downfall under the pressure of internal conflicts and external threats.The second chapter discusses the community of fraternity between George and Lennie in Of Mice and Men,both of whom share a dream and cling to each other.However,under the harsh external pressures,the community disintegrates when George is forced to shoot Lennie in the end.The third chapter focuses on the family community in The Grapes of Wrath which records the westward journey of the Joads,seeking for survival.The Joad family stick together closely with blood ties,and during the journey,more immigrants join in to make a larger family community.However,with the escalating challenges on the trek,the community faces the crisis of collapse when the family members leave the group one by one during the journey.Steinbeck preserves some hope in his depiction of female characters such as Ma Joad who treat people with love.The conclusion part indicates Steinbeck’s view on community in the Workers Trilogy.He justifies the union of the oppressed people to fight against the oppression of capitalism.At the same time,he is acutely aware of the difficulty of maintaining the community.Steinbeck pins his hope on the mothers in In Dubious Battle and The Grapes of Wrath,whose values of love and care have great strength to revitalize the community.