There have been many great novels written throughout time, but scarcely any of them exemplify the meaning of brotherhood as beautifully as that in John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck methodically makes brotherhood the backbone of his novel and in doing so, brings to light new boundaries for the meaning of friendship, family, and communal bonds. The Grapes of Wrath follows one Oklahoma family, the Joads, as they journey down Route 66 towards the earthly paradise of California. While on route to California, the Joads cross paths with fellow besieged and destitute families, non-hospitable farmers, spiteful Californians, and malicious officers. Steinbeck uses these encounters to show the birth of brotherhood between migrants and its enduring affects through biblical allusion, character development, and inter chapters.

In The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck helps develop the theme of brotherhood by using Biblical allusions. For example, the character...