The family unit during the Great Depression

     In the Grapes of Wrath the strength of the Joad family’s survival can be in large part attributed to the strength they gain from experiencing their hardships together.  As they journey to California others become included in their familial unit.  The pastor Casey is a prime example of the way the Joad’s treat outsiders.  The main characters in the story are rarely alone always feeling that they belong somewhere even as they are uprooted from their home.
    This overarching theme of the book seems greatly at odds with other accounts of the time.  The many youth that set out hitch-hiking were in large part alone as they struggled to survive in entirely foreign environments.  Many times their families could not take care of them and encouraged them to go on the road. 
    Hearing of the stories of my great-grandmother about her experience during that time period it seems to reiterate the breakdown of the family structure.  She was sent to live with distant relatives in a faraway state because her family could not take care of her.  Though in many cases families probably became closer experiencing hardships together others, many others were forced to fend for themselves.