Chapters 16-19 (G) *

In the novel, the author gives a macrocosm point of view in chapter 17 and a microcosm point of view in chapter 16. In chapter 17, the author addresses the unity of the migrant families in the camps. This point of view gives a general or big picture of what was life like for migrant families during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. The author describes, "Twenty families became one family, the children were the children of all." (193) The idea of unity is emphasized because all the migrant families were like one big family. They all shared what they had with each other and treated each other as family. "The families learned what rights must be observed." (194) All the migrant families held basic beliefs and laws that they followed as a whole. Examples of the laws were simply to respect each other when sleeping and eating. Everyone treated each other with hospitality. They all held responsibilities as "children [went] to gather wood, to carry water; men [went] to pitch the tents.., women [cooked] the supper". (195) Every person in the camps knew that they were in charge of doing something in order to work together.

On the other hand, chapter 16 serves as the microcosm point of view. In the novel, this specific family is the Joad family. Chapter 16 also emphasizes the theme of unity, but in a more specific and focused way. In this chapter, the Joad family is continuing their travel to California. They meet another family called the Wilson family. The Joad and Wilson family travel together, helping each other in many ways. Before, when Grampa was about to die, the Wilsons let Grampa in their tent because he was sick. This was revisited in chapter 16 when Pa reminds the Wilson family that "Grampa died in [their] tent". (167) When the Wilson's car breaks down, the Joads offered to fix their car. The idea of helping each other is heavily emphasized in this chapter. Aside from working with each other, the theme of unity is also presented when Ma refuses to let Tom and Casey go fix the car themselves while the rest of the family moves on. When Tom first suggested idea, Ma immediately refused to let that happen. Ma stood strong and reaffirmed that "I ain't a-gonna go". (168) In the novel, Ma stands strong in her belief that the family must be united; additionally, this emphasizes the theme of unity just as in the intercalary chapter in chapter 16.

Overall, chapter 16 and 17 relate to each other in that they suggest the idea of unity. In chapter 16, this theme is focused specifically on the Joad family, while chapter 17 offers this theme for all the migrant families in general. In chapter 16, the Joads are united with each other and the Wilson family. In chapter 17, the author notes how migrant families united and worked with each other. Chapter 16 helps make sense of chapter 17 because it offers a focused point of view before offering a general point of view. In the same way, chapter 17 helps to make chapter 16 make sense because chapter 17 introduces how migrant families generally treated and helped each other during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. This bigger picture helps the reader to understand the theme of unity. Overall, both chapter serves to stress the importance of helping each other.