During these challenging moments, I would like to share with you a paragraph taken from John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath”, which embodies strength and courage, and reflects a profound observation about the differences in perspective between men and women, especially in times of hardship and the passage of time.
Steinbeck is known for the realism of his novels and for the humor that enriches his descriptive narratives. Through his storytelling, he paints a vivid portrait of a vanishing America, yet his works remain infused with a resilient hope in humanity’s capacity for renewal and revival. He also captures the resilience of the human spirit and the different ways in which individuals perceive and respond to life’s challenges.
Our life ain’t over. It ain’t, and that’s the thing a woman knows.
I noticed that.
See man, he lives in a jerk.
Baby born, man dies, that’s a jerk.
Gets a farm and loses his farm, and that’s a jerk.
Woman, it’s all one flow, like a stream.
Little eddies, little waterfalls,
but the river, it goes right on.
Woman looks at it like that.
We ain’t gonna die out.
People are going on.
Changing a little maybe, but going right on.
Everything we do, seems to me, is aimed at going on.
It seems that way to me.
Even getting hungry, even being sick.
Some die, but the rest is tougher. Just try to live the day, just the day.
I think that this passage highlights the resilience and adaptability of humanity. Despite hardships, people persevere and keep moving forward. The narrator emphasizes the cyclical nature of life and the innate human drive to survive and endure, even in the face of hunger, sickness, and death.
What do you think about Steinbeck’s words?
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Crisbie Coach 