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Start of the Dust Bowl
Around the 1930s, the Dust Bowl began, forcing thousands of families to move west in search of work. -
Tom Joad Leaves Prison
After four years, Tom is released from prison, where he served time for manslaughter. -
Tom Meets Casy
Tom meets Casy, the retired preacher, and the two go Tom's old home, only to find that nobody is there. -
Journey Begins
Tom and Casy find Tom's family at Uncle John's house preparing to leave for California, and the family sets off on the road. -
Grampa Dies
The family meets the Wilsons, whom they travel with for some time. The Wilsons assist the family during Grampa's death. -
Noah and Wilsons Leave
Noah, Tom's brother, decides the family would be better without him and walks away. The Wilsons also decide they are a burden on the Joads and insist that they leave without them. -
Granma Dies
Granma dies shortly before the family passes through inspection to go into California. -
Hooverville
The family enters a Hooverville with many other migrant workers, but are unable to find work. -
Casy Goes to Prison
Tom trips a deputy, and Casy kicks him unconscious so that he cannot shoot a fleeing man named Floyd, who had stood up to the deputy. Casy says that he has done everything and should be punished, because Tom is on parole and cannot get caught. The deputies take Casy away. -
Government Camp
The Joads arrive at a government camp, where they have access to water and are surrounded by nice people. Tom finds a job, but hears that deputies are planning to cause havoc and then invade the camp. -
Peach Camp
The Joads arrive at a different camp, where they pick peaches all day, receiving five cents for each box. -
Casy dies
Tom's curiosity leads him to Casy, who is leading a migrant strike in hopes of earning more money. Deputies approach them, striking Casy and killing him. -
Moving Again
Tom's little sister tells another girl that her brother has killed two men and is hiding, forcing the family to move again. They live in a boxcar, but are unable to work as there are heavy rainstorms. -
Tom Kills an Officer
Angered at Casy's death, Tom strikes the officer who killed Casy, which kills the man. Tom flees and admits to his family what he has done. He then goes into hiding to protect them. -
Rose of Sharon has her Baby
Tom's sister gives birth, but the baby is already dead. This adds more chaos to the time, as the rains do not cease and threaten to flood the boxcar. -
Man in the Barn
The Joads, looking for another place to go, come across a boy and his father in a barn. The boy reveals that his father is starving as he has given his son all of his food. The family quietly leaves the barn, but Rose of Sharon remains, nursing the man so that he may live despite her baby dying.