Grapes of Wrath 21-25

The Californians fear the migrants. The hostility placed against the Okies fuse them together. Armed mobs terrorize the camps of the migrant men.

The Joads come across the Weedpatch Camp. Weedpatch is government owned and no deputies can terrorize the migrants there. Tom Quickly finds work. Mr. Thomas tells Tom that he is forced to only pay 25 cents an hour by the Farmer's association. Mrs. Sandry stops by to give Rose of Sharon a gruesome and mostly unnecessary warning that if she participates in dancing her baby will be born 'dead and bloody'.

Migrants find different ways to relieve stress. Some sit together and tell folktales. Some will buy alcohol and further escape their troubles. Preachers tell harsh sermons and conduct mass baptisms.

Tom is selected to be part of a security detail for the camp dance. Three agitators are quickly spotted upon entering the camp. The men's plans come to a halt as they are dragged out of the dance by the security team. The men are dealt with civilly, and they are simply ousted from the camp with no visible wounds.

Local farmers are ruined by the massive corporations. They watch as their livelihood disintegrates with their crop. “In the souls of the people, the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage.”