Chapters 3-6

The banks are just doing their job. In a time like this, businesses would have to cut cost and the easiest cost to cut is labor. The landowners work with the banks and they realize that tenant farming is not earning a lot of profit. The impact on the farmers, as discussed in the conversations during dinner with Casey, Tom, and Muley, is realistic. Farmers may not fight the banks but it would make sense that they at least plead. None of them are lying by saying that they have no place to go. California may sound promising but how can they know if the banks are being truthful? Transportation to the state may not be possible for many because the tenant farm was their occupation. They would not need a car to travel from work to their house. It is all just unfortunate. The land owners, in many cases, do not see much of a monetary gain from cutting these labor costs, anyway. However, they do have to look out for the own. The labor cuts are necessary and I understand. I think those who lose their houses also understand, at least partially, because they do not fight the banks.

Chapters 1-2 Response

I don’t truly believe Tom was just trying to persuade the man into letting him ride into his car. I think that what he was saying was a real belief and he felt that this man had some kindness in him. Having a prowess in persuading also comes from how you speak but I feel like the truck-driver had a change in heart just by the words. Perhaps Tom was really playing off of hate for the wealthy. It is easy for the poor to hate the wealthy in a time like this so the chances that this truck driver had some animosity toward the wealthy were high. It is also a possibility that Tom was using a sympathy card. Tom’s personality has led me to believe that he is not like that. I may only have one chapter’s worth of dialogue to gather characteristics from him but I feel like he’s an honest guy. Maybe he’s just that persuasive and has even gotten to me as well. The driver’s reasoning behind breaking the rule is also legitimate. He is put in a pickle that telling a simple white lie to his boss can get him out of. It’s the obvious choice. Tom did not need to call the man who put the stick in place a bastard. That is the aforementioned animosity talking. The wealthy are going to need to put extra measures in place to ensure the safety of their business. Something bad actually could happen from picking up a hitch-hiker.