Lange, Dorothea, photographer. Along the highway near Bakersfield, California. Dust bowl refugees. Bakersfield, Kern County, California, United States. Nov. 1935. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017759225/.
This photograph provides students with a tangible connection to the world Steinbeck describes in The Grapes of Wrath. Lange’s image captures the desperation and resilience of Dust Bowl migrants, reinforcing themes in the novel such as displacement, poverty, and social justice. By comparing Lange’s visual storytelling with Steinbeck’s narrative techniques, students can explore how art and literature work together to illuminate historical experiences. This source also deepens understanding of how both creators influenced public awareness and policy during the Great Depression.
Dorothea Lange’s photograph of Dust Bowl refugees near Bakersfield, California, captures the dire conditions faced by migrant families in search of work and stability during the Great Depression. Taken in 1935, the image complements John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, which tells the fictionalized story of the Joad family’s journey westward. Both the photograph and the novel shed light on the resilience of displaced families and the broader social injustices of the era.
This photograph by Dorothea Lange captures Dust Bowl refugees along a highway near Bakersfield, California, during the Great Depression. Taken as part of Lange’s work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA), the image highlights the dire conditions faced by migrant families fleeing drought-stricken areas in search of work and stability. Teachers can contextualize this source within the economic struggles of the 1930s, the impact of environmental disasters like the Dust Bowl, and the federal government’s response, including New Deal programs. It also provides insight into the human cost of widespread economic and environmental crises.
- How does Dorothea Lange’s photograph help us visualize the struggles faced by the Joad family in The Grapes of Wrath?
- In what ways do Steinbeck and Lange use their respective mediums to advocate for social justice?
- How can we connect the historical realities of the Dust Bowl to the fictional narrative in the novel?
Georgia State ELA Standards & Georgia State Social Studies Standards
SSUSH18: Evaluate Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal as a response to the Great Depression and compare how governmental programs aided those in need.
- Dorothea Lange's photograph of Dust Bowl refugees connects to SSUSH18 by illustrating the human impact of the Great Depression and providing a visual complement to discussions of the New Deal’s response to widespread poverty and displacement.
ELAGSE11-12RI7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented indifferent media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.
ELAGSE11-12RL3: Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
- It also aligns with ELAGSE11-12RI7 and ELAGSE11-12RL3 by encouraging students to integrate visual and literary sources, like Lange’s photograph and Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, to evaluate how each medium develops themes of social justice, resilience, and the effects of environmental and economic crises.
Start by showing Lange’s photograph and asking students to describe its emotional and historical impact. Pair it with an excerpt from The Grapes of Wrath such as the description of the migrant camps or the Joads’ arrival in California. Guide a discussion on how both Lange and Steinbeck depict themes of displacement, resilience, and social justice. Encourage students to compare how Lange’s composition and Steinbeck’s language create similar effects. As a creative activity, have students write a short story inspired by the photograph or create a visual representation of a scene from the novel, connecting historical and literary analysis.
- The photographer’s depiction of poverty and suffering along with Steinbeck’s critique of economic inequality may be emotionally challenging or politically sensitive. Teachers should frame these materials within their historical context, emphasizing the resilience of migrant families and the importance of understanding systemic issues.
Links to resources for approaching those topics
- Library of Congress. The Dust Bowl. United States History Primary Source Timeline. Accessed December 18, 2024. https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/great-depression-and-world-war-ii-1929-1945/dust-bowl/
- Lange, Dorothea, photographer. On highway no. 1 of the “OK” state near Webbers Falls, Muskogee County, Oklahoma. Seven children and eldest son’s family. Father was a blacksmith in Paris, Arkansas. Son was a tenant farmer. “We're bound for Kingfisher Oklahoma wheat and Lubbock Texas cotton. We're not trying to but we'll be in California yet. We're not going back to Arkansas; believe I can better myself.” Muskogee County United States Webbers Falls Oklahoma, 1938. June. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017770570/. This photograph by Dorothea Lange captures a migrant family traveling along Highway No. 1 in Oklahoma during the Great Depression, expressing their determination to find work in wheat and cotton fields. The image reflects the resilience and hope of families displaced by economic hardship, showcasing their belief in better opportunities ahead.
- Todd, Charles L. Trampling Out the Vintage: Farm Security Camps Provide the Imperial Valley Migrants with a Home and a Hope. Common Sense, July, 1939. Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.gov/item/toddbib000366/. This article describes the Farm Security Administration camps in California’s Imperial Valley, highlighting their role in providing shelter, resources, and hope to displaced migrant workers during the Great Depression. It emphasizes the transformative impact of these camps on improving living conditions and fostering community among migrant families.
- National Steinbeck Center. John Steinbeck Biography and Works. Accessed December 18, 2024.. https://www.steinbeck.org/.
- PBS. The Dust Bowl: American Experience. Accessed December 18, 2024. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/dustbowl/.