Social changes in rural American society described in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath: Sociological literary criticism

ABSTRACT

As the social human being we cannot avoid that there are so many problems we must face in our life. Those problems usually change our condition such as in economic, education, politic, and social. A lot of people do not realize that social change to be certain can change their life. There are many researchers who want to analyse this condition through one of literary works that is novel. They analyse this condition by using sociological approach and deconstruction theory. However, usually they do not compare about what happen in the real life and in the novel. To make some variation and to broaden the literary research, it seems proper to present a new research that use sociological approach and use social theory since the problems which will be analyzed contains a lot of social change problems happened in the society specifically in Rural American society in the early twenty centuries.

John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath contains a lot of social change which happened in the emigrant group who initially live in Oklahoma then move to California as the impact of depression and the abuse of power. From this case, the researcher formulates four problems of study; they are (1) what social changes happened in rural American society in John Steinbeck The Grapes of Wrath in the early twenty centuries? (2) What are the causes of social changes happen in rural American society in John Steinbeck The grapes of wrath in the early twenty centuries? (3)What are the impacts of social changes described in John Steinbeck the Grapes of Wrath? (4)How does the social changes described in John Steinbeck‘s The Grapes of Wrath reflect the real condition of rural American society in the early twenty centuries?

This research uses the sociological approach and applies the concept of social theory. Because this research focused on the discussion of the social change, therefore the reseracher must include about what happen before and after the incident happened especially in the early twenty centuries.

From this research, there are four findings can be stated as the answer of the problem of the study. First, the social changes in rural American society in John Steinbeck The grapes of wrath in the early twenty centuries happened in the economic side especially in farming sector. It happened when the field in Oklahoma could not give a benefit to the farmer and the men in power. Therefore the farmer lived in the very poor condition without having money to fulfill their need. second, the social changes happened in the novel was due to the industrial revolution which lead to a pollution that is the dust that damage the crops of the farmer. Third, the impacts of social changes described in John Steinbeck the grapes of wrath made the people got depressed because of losing their job. Therefore, they had to move to California to get a better life. fourth, the social changes in John Steinbeck‘s The Grapes of Wrath described in the novel did reflects the real condition of rural American society in the early twenty centuries. In the early twenty centuries, Industrial revolution happened in America which caused a lot of pollution that damage the farming area which could not be productive at all. Therefore, there were many people who emigrate to another area to get the better life. However, the emigration didn’t always give the positive effect. They would face a new problem because they were new comer who strongly had to adapt with a new condition, new community to keep survive.