Fenna has to read The Grapes of Wrath for her American Literature class at school. I've never actually read the whole thing, so I went to my bookshelf and picked it up. She got a copy from the school so we are reading the book together, sort of. I don't think we are on the same page though. According to her reading schedule we should be on Chapter 17 now, but I just finished Chapter 9. No worries for me though, I don't have to take a test on the book. Reading along sure does make it easier to have a conversation about the book and it is nice to have a literature conversation with someone. It has been years since I asked anyone what they thought the turtle symbolized and actually received a thoughtful response.
But I got stuck on this one paragraph in Chapter 9. It's incredible. It is stuck in my head. John Steinbeck earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Nobel prize, now I see why. I've seen the movie and I've seen another movie based on one of his other books. I didn't think much of either one really, and I remember reading something of his in high school, and bits and pieces of GoW when my older girls were in high school. I don't remember having time to think about what I was reading or reading anything that really thrilled me though. Maybe this is why its a good idea to reread the good stuff.
Maybe we can start again, in the new rich land-in California, where the fruit grows. We’ll start over.But you can’t start. Only a baby can start. You and me – why, we’re all that’s been. The anger of a moment, the thousand pictures, that’s us. This land, this red land, is us; and the flood years and the dust years and the drought years are us. We can’t start again. The bitterness we sold to the junk man – he got it all right, but we have it still. And when the owner men told us to go, that’s us; and when the tractor hit the house, that’s us until we’re dead. To California or any place – every one a drum major leading a parade of hurts, marching with our bitterness. And some day – the armies of bitterness will all be going the same way. And they’ll all walk together, and there’ll be a dead terror from it.
It's true. Starting over is never truly starting over. A person can get a fresh start in life, but you always have your experiences to influence you. And you bring in your memories and your feelings, whether they are good or "bitter", they are in you.
Fenna and I talked about how the characters in the book were starting over, and how they really couldn't since they have a history within them to compare the new life with the one they are leaving behind. And then we talked about anyone anytime starting over. This concept can be applied to so many situations.
Steinbeck doesn't really say it, but what about the people who know or knew you before your fresh start? They won't erase their memories which makes a new start impossible. To start over, a person would have to eliminate all ties to everyone. Who can do that?
Have you ever started over? Think back, did you really start over or did you get a fresh start? Because starting over cannot be accomplished when you have previous experience to compare the fresh start with. Isn't this mind bending? I love it!
Nope, never started over lol.
ReplyDeleteI read that book in high school but it always kind of stuck with me so I picked it for book club one time. Jess read it right around the same time for school. Her class analyzed it all so she told me a lot of the meanings of what stood for what. It was very interesting.
Never read the book and seen bits and pieces of the movie. In school our required reading was The Hobbit.
ReplyDeleteNever had to read GoW, I'll put it on my Christmas break list ;)
ReplyDeleteI agree that we can have a fresh start, but can't really start over, although we say it all the time.