Quotessence
Home / Books / The Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath

Book by John Steinbeck · 50 quotes · Wrath, Men, People

Filter quotes by topic

AllWrathMenPeopleThe Grapes Of WrathJohn SteinbeckIfsSinGrapesKnowsLandGrapes Of WrathMggBusinessCausesCuttingForeverLittlesMankindPoorQuality

The Grapes of Wrath Quotes

“And when that crop grew, and was harvested, no man had crumbled a hot clod in his fingers and let the earth sift past his fingertips. No man had touched the seed, or lusted for the growth. Men ate what they had not raised, had no connection with the bread. The land bore under iron, and under iron gradually died; for it was not loved or hated, it had no prayers or curses.”

MenEarthPastGrowthPrayerLandGrewConnectionsDiedHotRaisedFingersSeedsBreadHatedCurseTouchedIronBoresCropsFingertips
Book:The Grapes of Wrath
Create image

“This you may say of man - when theories change and crash, when schools, philosophies, when narrow dark alleys of thought, national, religious, economic, grow and disintegrate, man reaches, stumbles forward, painfully, mistakenly sometimes. Having stepped forward, he may slip back, but only half a step, never the full step back.”

MenMaySometimesPhilosophySchoolGrowsReligiousDarkHalfStepsEconomicTheorySlipsCrashAlleysDark Alleys
Book:The Grapes of Wrath
Create image

“Two are better than one,because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lif' up his fellow, but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, for he hath not another to help him up.”

IfsTwoHelpingFallFriendshipFriendsMy FriendsLaborFellowsRewardsGood FriendWoeBest FriendMy FriendshipNew FriendsFriendship MemoriesLost FriendshipOne Line FriendshipBest FriendshipFriendship DayHappy FriendshipNew FriendshipOne FriendHappy Friendship DayTwo FriendsNot FriendsFriendship OverCircle Of FriendsFriendship And LifeBeing A Good FriendThat One FriendFriendship BrokenEcclesiastesGood FriendshipCelebrating With FriendsWisdom And FriendshipWise FriendshipTwo Best Friends
Book:The Grapes of Wrath
Create image

“This is the thing to bomb. This is the beginning—from "I" to "we". If you who own the things people must have could understand this, you might preserve yourself. If you could separate causes from results, if you could know that Paine, Marx, Jefferson, Lenin were results, not causes, you might survive. But that you cannot know. For the quality of owning freezes you forever into "I", and cuts you off forever from the "we".”

PeopleIfsKnowsMightCausesResultsQualityForeverCuttingPreservesBombsFreezePaine
Book:The Grapes of Wrath
Create image

“Ma was heavy, but not fat; thick with child-bearing and work. She wore a loose Mother Hubbard of gray cloth in which there had once been colored flowers, but the color was washed out now, so that the small flowered pattern was only a little lighter gray than the background. The dress came down to her ankles, and he strong, broad, bare feet moved quickly and deftly over the floor. Her thin, steel-gray hair was gathered in a sparse wispy knot at the back of her head. Strong, freckled arms were bare to the elbow, and her hands were chubby and delicate, like those of a plump little girl. She looked out into the sunshine. Her full face was not soft; it was controlled, kindly. Her hazel eyes seemed to have experienced all possible tragedy and to have mounted pain and suffering like steps into a high calm and a superhuman understanding. She seemed to know, to accept, to welcome her position, the citadel of the family, the strong place that could not be taken. And since old Tom and the children could not know hurt or fear unless she acknowledged hurt and fear, she had practiced denying them in herself. And since, when a joyful thing happened, they looked to see whether joy was on her, it was her habit to build up laughter out of inadequate materials. But better than joy was calm. Imperturbability could be depended upon. And from her great and humble position in the family she had taken dignity and a clean calm beauty. From her position as healer, her hands had grown sure and cool and quiet; from her position as arbiter she had become as remote and faultless in judgment as a goddess. She seemed to know that if she swayed the family shook, and if she ever really deeply wavered or despaired the family would fall, the family will to function would be gone.”

FearGraceMothersFamilies
Book:The Grapes of Wrath
Create image