Grampa Joad’s Death in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath

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This study aims at analyzing the death of Grampa Joad in John Steinbeck’s
The Grapes of Wrath and what causes his death. The qualitative method is used, and the
findings are reported in a form of a qualitative descriptive analysis. The study finds that
Grampa dies outside Oklahoma City in the first overnight of the long journey. The study also
finds that the stroke mentioned in the story is not a real cause of his death. The old age
is not the cause of the death either. It is found that the big feature leading Grampa to be
dead is grief affected by being forced to leave his settings—his house and his homeland.
The research suggests that this classical work shows a stark contrast of the understanding
about death in general. That is to say, although death is a natural part of life and it is usual
for old people to be found dead, it can be accelerated by separation and deep sorrow.