Suna in Wonderland

5 minutes before I leave my parent’s house for airport, I quickly looked around the house for a book . A book that no one will notice even if I take it so that I can throw it when I am done without any guilt. Choice was made. ‘The Grapes of Wrath’. It was stuck in the bookshelf for God knows when that color of paper were turned light brown. I felt as if I am reading an ancient book.

It took two days to finish the book. (Thought i would able to finish in the plane ) When I closed the the last page, I realised  that I was wrong. I can never throw this book, in fact I was even more thirst for more detailed description of the book. (Turned out to be my book was simplified version for middle school level).

As a whole story, it describes how America’s capitalism has initiated gap between rich and poor. The story itself was very interesting but I was more impressed with parts by parts and dialogue by dialogue. No wonder writer (John Steinbeck) was awarded Pulitzer Prize in 1940 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.

So here, I want to share some of quotes that I was deeply moved.

“You been a good guy. But look, when you been in stir a little while, you can smell a question comin’ from hell to breakfast. You telegraphed you’re the first time you opened your trap.”

The story starts from where a protagonist (Joad) hitchhike a truck in order to go back to his home town after being parole. Truck driver try to figure out where Joad come from or what he’s been doing by asking all sorts of questions and Joad sense that he is being examined. Joad get offended and get out of the truck. It could be ‘A guilty conscience needs no accuser’ situation, but I think author pointed out well on how people are curious on each other. Curiosity is good, but Instead of asking directly, we have habit of asking indirect questions and try to link with our curiosity, thinking that is polite.
“There ain’t nobody gonna push me of my land! My grandpa took up this land 70 years ago, my pa was born here, we were all born on it. And some of of us was killed on it! …and some of us died on it. That’s what make it our’n, bein’ born on it,…and workin’ on it,…and and dying’ on it! And not no piece of paper with the writin’ on it!”

This quotation moved me the most. I think it is true. God created this land so it should be owned by every creature that living in this planet not by particular human. Furthermore, I think having a border and passport between countries is also another ridiculous thing that human have. Instead of share the earth and live in harmony, we divided it in to continent, country and control each other, fearing each other. How sad…

The book also had some interesting comments on bank.

“The bank is something more than men, I tell you. It’s the monster. Men made it, but they can’t control it.”

“They breathe profits; they eat the interest on money. If they don’t get it, they die the way you die without air, without side-meat.”

It is funny that after all, it was us, people that made all this life and  society complex and unfair. Have we come too far to go back or even make simple and fair?