"Why don't you go on west to California? There's work there, and it never gets cold. Why, you can reach out anywhere and pick an orange. Why, there's always some kind of crop to work in. Why don't you go there?" (Chapter 5, pg. 34)
In
The Grapes of Wrath, California is more than just a place. It is an idea and symbol of hope. Early in the book, California is portrayed as the "Promised Land". It provides hope and a goal in which the tenants can set their sights. As the Bible story goes, after wandering in the desert for 40 years, God provides the Israelites with the much anticipated promised land. Steinbeck treats California much like it is the Promised land that will be warm and welcoming to the farmers, solving all their problems.
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