The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
"For man, unlike any other thing organic or inorganic in the universe, grows beyond his work, walks up the stairs of his concepts, emerges ahead of his accomplishments."
"To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma, the last rains came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth." p. 1
"The sky grayed among the stars, and the pale, late quarter-moon was insubstantial and thin. Tom Joad and the preacher walked quickly along a road that was only wheel tracks and beaten caterpillar tracks through a cotton field. Only the unbalanced sky showed the approach of dawn, no horizon to the west, and a line to the east. The two men walked in silence and smelled the dust their feet kicked into the air." p. 67
"Tom said, "How ya, Noah?" "Fine," said Noah. "How a' you?" That was all, but it was a comfortable thing." p. 79
"Al tried to control his question. "Did-did you bust out? Of jail?" "No," said Tom. "I got paroled." "Oh." And Al was a little disappointed." p. 85
"66 is the path of a people in flight, refugees from dust and shrinking land, from the thunder of tractors and shrinking ownership, from the desert's slow northward invasion, from the twisting winds that howl up out of Texas, from the floods that bring no richness to the land and steal what little richness is there. From all of these the people are in flight, and they come into 66 from the tributary side roads, from the wagon tracks and the rutted country roads. 66 is the mother road, the road of flight." p. 118
"The dusk passed into dark and the desert stars came out in the soft sky, stars stabbing and sharp, with few points and rays to them, and the sky was velvet." p. 223
"Ruthie and Winfield scrambled down from the car, and then they stood, silent and awestruck, embarrassed before the great valley. The distance was thinned with haze, and the land grew softer and softer in the distance. A windmill flashed in the sun, and its turning blades were like a little heliograph, far away. Ruthie and Winfield looked at it, and Ruthie whispered, "It's California." p. 227
"The changing economy was ignored, plans for the change ignored; and only means to destroy revolt were considered, while the causes of revolt went on." p. 238
"In the West there was panic when the migrants multiplied on the highways. Men of property were terrified for their property. Men who had never been hungry saw the eyes of the hungry. Men who had never wanted anything very much saw the flare of want in the eyes of the migrants. And the men of the towns and of the soft suburban country gathered to defend themselves; and they reassured themselves that they were good and the invaders bad, as a man must do before he fights. They said, These goddamned Okies are dirty and ignorant. They're degenerate, sexual maniacs. These goddamned Okies are thieves. They'll steal anything. They've got no sense of property rights." p. 282
"Tom said, "Seems funny. I've et your food an' I ain't tol' you my name--nor you ain't mentioned yours. I'm Tom Joad." p. 292