Chapters 14-16: "This is the beginning - from 'I' to 'we.'"

In these chapters you see the transition from I to We, normally most people just worry about themselves and do not care about the people who they themselves do not care about such as strangers. But as this book continues you start to see how people that the Joads meet help them, these many kind strangers could be selfish and not give each other food or do kind little gestures. But instead they help each other out because they are all in the same boat and want the same goal, the goal of making money and finding a job. When I read chapter fourteen I found out that the northern states did not like the idea of the western states moving to northern states because they had heard that they were thieves, and not good people. You start to see characters act that way towards westerners in later chapters as well. In chapter fifteen a waitress in a diner is being selfish when she sees a father and his two sons in need of food; she brushes them off and does not give them food. Until her co-worker Al tells her to give them some bread, Al is an example of how strangers helped each other. Al did not have to give the man and his sons’ food at all, but he did anyways because he knew what struggles people were going threw. When the Wilson’s car breaks down they feel guilty for causing so much trouble for the Joads, they feel like they are bringing them down so Wilson says, “Seems like its my fault. This here goddamn wreck’s give me trouble right along. You folks been nice to us. Now you jus’ pack up an’ get along. Me an’ Sairy’ll stay, an’ figger some way. We don’t aim to put you folks out none.” But instead of the Joads saying okay sounds good they say no we are going to stick together and fix the car, so you start to see how the I becomes We when the Joads stop caring as much about just their family but when they start caring for the Wilson’s as if they are part of their family as well.