A Study Of Survival Predicaments Of The Joads In The Grapes Of Wrath From The Perspective Of Spatial Criticism

The Grapes of Wrath,John Steinbeck’s masterpiece,describes the historical migration in the 1930 s.So far,scholars have paid little attention to the spatial factors in the novel,but an objective study of the phenomenon of human migration from the perspective of spatial criticism is of great significance for both a deeper understanding of the work and enrichment of spatial theory.The thesis analyzes the survival predicaments of the migrants by utilization of Lefebvre’s spatial theory,focusing on the process of the Joads losing their home,finding their home and rebuilding a new home.Meanwhile,it pays close attention to the protagonists’ great changes in thoughts and actions.The first chapter sorts out previous studies on the novel and establishes the focus of the thesis.The second chapter analyzes survival predicaments encountered by the Joads in physical space.On the one hand,after losing land,the Joads can’t make a living in Oklahoma,so they move westwards to find a new home.On the other hand,they incur hatreds and rejections in California,their dreamy land.The third chapter tries to demonstrate the Joads’ tremendous shift of their mental space.At first,the Joads believe that the change of physical space can help them get out of predicaments,and they firmly believe that everyone has opportunities to start a new life through hard work.By constantly reflecting on the real reasons behind survival predicaments,however,the thesis gradually realizes that the power relations hidden in space constructed by capitalists are the roots of migrants’ misery.The fourth chapter aims to analyze the Joads’ efforts to resist the exploitation and oppression of capitalists.To break the survival predicaments of homelessness,they struggle hard for an equal and harmonious social space of all people.In chapter five,this thesis draws the conclusion that Steinbeck uses the change of space as the narrative clue to show migrants’ survival predicaments,which fully indicates that he early realizes the important role of space in human activities,thus catching readers’ attention to spatial factors in the novel.The study of survival predicaments of migrants from the perspective of spatial criticism is intended to arouse readers’ reflections on survival predicaments of the lower class who are living in the narrow and restricted space.By analyzing the real reactions of the migrants to survival predicaments in thoughts and actions,the thesis tries to promote further attention and study of spatial issues of human beings,urging readers to think deeply how human beings deal with survival predicaments.