The Grapes of Wrath: Chapters 25-30

by John Steinbeck
During the Great Depression, the Joad family leaves a failing farm in Oklahoma in hopes of a better life out west.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–8, Chapters 9–15, Chapters 16–19, Chapters 20–24, Chapters 25–30

Here are links to our lists for other books by John Steinbeck: Of Mice and Men, The Pearl, East of Eden, Cannery Row, Travels with Charley
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. gnarled
    old and twisted and covered in lines
    Then the first tendrils of the grapes, swelling from the old gnarled vines, cascade down to cover the trunks.
  2. blight
    any plant disease resulting in withering without rotting
    Behind the fruitfulness are men of understanding and knowledge and skill, men who experiment with seed, endlessly developing the techniques for greater crops of plants whose roots will resist the million enemies of the earth: the molds, the insects, the rusts, the blights.
  3. graft
    cause parts of different plants to grow together
    The men who graft the young trees, the little vines, are the cleverest of all, for theirs is a surgeon’s job, as tender and delicate; and these men must have surgeons’ hands and surgeons’ hearts to slit the bark, to place the grafts, to bind the wounds and cover them from the air.
  4. denunciation
    a public act of condemnation
    There is a crime here that goes beyond denunciation.
  5. pall
    a sudden feeling of dread or gloominess
    The pall had fallen on Ruthie and Winfield. They did not dash away to inspect the place. They stayed close to the truck, close to the family.
  6. belligerently
    in the manner of someone eager to fight
    “A fella got to eat,” he began; and then, belligerently, “A fella got a right to eat.”
  7. prostrate
    stretched out and lying at full length along the ground
    Tom stood over the prostrate man. And then a club reached his head, a glancing blow.
  8. resentment
    a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
    Her eyes were blazing with resentment.
  9. dote
    shower with love; show excessive affection for
    “Well, lemme have three poun’s. An’ a nice piece a boilin’ beef. My girl can cook it tomorra. An’ a bottle a milk for my girl. She dotes on milk. Gonna have a baby. Nurse-lady tol’ her to eat lots a milk. Now, le’s see, we got potatoes.”
  10. tragedy
    an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
    Ruthie came near, in her hands two large boxes of Cracker Jack, in her eyes a brooding question, which on a nod or a shake of Ma’s head might become tragedy or joyous excitement.
  11. patina
    a fine coating of oxide on the surface of a metal
    A patina of silver beard covered his jaws and chin.
  12. eddy
    a miniature whirlpool or whirlwind
    Woman, it’s all one flow, like a stream, little eddies, little waterfalls, but the river, it goes right on.
  13. sodden
    wet through and through; thoroughly wet
    Then from the tents, from the crowded barns, groups of sodden men went out, their clothes slopping rags, their shoes muddy pulp.
  14. fetid
    offensively malodorous
    The air was fetid and close with the smell of the birth.
  15. savagely
    in a vicious manner
    “We’re a-gettin’ outa here,” she said savagely, “gettin’ to higher groun’.
Created on Sat Oct 05 18:37:35 EDT 2013 (updated Fri Aug 01 16:06:55 EDT 2025)

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