The Tractors

As Tom hears the story of the family's land, viewers see the tractors mowing down fields and houses. They come in droves and are driven by people from the area who are trying to keep their own families alive.

The tractors are symbolic of the changing lives of those in the Midwest and of the seemingly unstoppable power of those with wealth, the landowners and banks. Although families care for their neighbors, many people have to change their focus to themselves in order to survive. They quickly realize that to keep their families alive, they might have to work for the bad guys, as the men on the tractors recognize.

On the other hand, many people like the Joads are forced to move from the homes that they have known for so long and find a new life. Although Muley Graves tries to stay, he is not...