Personal Response #1

Personal response to text

By: Laramie Sissons

One of the main themes present in the novel The Grapes of Wrath is teamwork, without it, the Jodes would not have even made it to California. I can relate to this in so many ways. Ever since I was young teamwork has been a huge part of my every day life. I saw it at home as well as at my other activities. Since I grew up on a farm, being able to work with people as a team in order to achieve a common goal is really all I have ever known. I have also learned that there is only a small window of time to get things done and in business time equals money so you better get the job as done as quickly as possible. The Jodes took a similar approach to their journey, the whole family had to work together in order to reach their destination as quickly as possible. That means that everyone must work together and do whatever it takes in order to get it done no matter what the task, it just has to get done and that’s that.

Being a team also means that when one member of the team cant be there to pull their weight, everyone else must pick up the slack so the task can be completed. I think that you really find out how strong your team is when you are forced to battle adversity. This happens throughout the entire novel of The Grapes of Wrath, if the Jodes had not battled some many forms of misfortune they may not have developed the strength to continue on. This is the way that my family has always worked, when you run into something you don’t think you can do you have to just keep on going, quitting is never an option.

Recently during what was possibly the busiest time of our lives, my dad “the captain” of our team if you will, became very Ill. There were days when we tired or scared and we didn’t have the energy to do the hard work or get up for school in the morning or go to practice after a long day on the farm but we knew that its not acceptable to just to quit on a commitment no matter what.

My dad is getting better now and that busy time in our life is slowly winding down, but the teamwork never stops. Weather its making sure that 700 head of cattle are ready to sell or something as simple as getting to hockey on time I know that I will never have to face a battle alone, a for that I will be forever grateful. I think that the Jode family felt the same way, they knew that no matter what they encountered along there journey they would always have each other and they would somehow always be make it through.