Grapes...

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Antaeus

If anyone would care to shed some light on what Antaeus has to do with the book, please do tell because I just do not see the parallels.

5 comments:

EKL said...

Well, one site said that every time Antaeus got thrown down he got stronger. So, maybe every time the Joads have a hardship it makes them stronger???? That's all I could think of.

Ace said...

Very good point. You may be onto something there.

Gazellia said...

Well, when (I forgot who) was trying to comfort Ma, she said that she was going to fall apart. So how could that be getting stronger?

dreamcrusher said...

well, i don't remember who posted the latest question, but they pretty much answered your question, ana. antaeus was a giant who gained his strength from the earth (who was actually the goddess who was his mother). he was always wanting to wrestle ppl, and he always won b/c the earth gave him power. then good old hercules came along and figured out his secrete. hercules held antaeus off the ground until his strength drained away and then killed him. so i think steinbeck is using the myth as a way to reinforce how the people are nothing without the land. they whither and die without its strength, just like the grandparents did.

ferris said...

Wow. Manda Panda, you basically just said it all. The myth is obviously symbolic (as everything else is in the novel). Whether it is referring to the land or the journey as a whole, this era was one of struggles, and through the difficult times the family has not completely fallen apart. This may be a sign that the family will only become stronger on the way to California.