Гроздья гнева

           Theystreamedoverthemountains,hungryandrestlessrestlessasants,scurryingtofindworktodo—tolift,topush,topull,topick,tocut—anything,anyburdentobear,forfood.Thekidsarehungry.Wegotnoplacetolive.Likeantsscurryingforwork,forfood,andmostofallforland.

           Weain’tforeign.SevengenerationsbackAmericans,andbeyondthatIrish,Scotch,English,German.OneofourfolksintheRevolution,an’theywaslotsofourfolksintheCivilWar—bothsides.Americans.

           Theywerehungry,andtheywerefierce.Andtheyhadhopedtofindahome,andtheyfoundonlyhatred.Okies—theownershatedthembecausetheownersknewtheyweresoftandtheOkiesstrong,thattheywerefedandtheOkieshungry;andperhapstheownershadheardfromtheirgrandfathershoweasyitistosteallandfromasoftmanifyouarefierceandhungryandarmed.Theownershatedthem.Andinthetowns,thestorekeepershatedthembecausetheyhadnomoneytospend.

           Thereisnoshorterpathtoastorekeeper’scontempt,andallhisadmirationsareexactlyopposite.Thetownmen,littlebankers,hatedOkiesbecausetherewasnothingtogainfromthem.Theyhadnothing.AndthelaboringpeoplehatedOkiesbecauseahungrymanmustwork,andifhemustwork,ifhehastowork,thewagepayerautomaticallygiveshimlessforhiswork;andthennoonecangetmore.

           Andthedispossessed,themigrants,flowedintoCalifornia,twohundredandfiftythousand,andthreehundredthousand.