"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." - pg 79
In John Steinbeck's novel, The Grapes Of Wrath, the common use of the road is a symbol for many different ideas. Overall, the road is the symbol for a journey or a quest, and in The Grapes of Wrath, that could be one of either good or bad. The road is the highway to home; which one will follow to a comforting place. The road is an avenue of hope; allowing a family the pathway to a better life. The road is the pavement of danger; a place where even a turtle can get hurt.
The first few chapters of the book describe Tom Joad finally returning home after years in jail. He rides with a truck driver who, even with a 'No Riders' sticker, drives him to his destination. When describing the drive, Steinbeck wrote, "He looked over secretly to see whether Joad was interested or amazed. Joad was silent, looking into the distance ahead, along the road, along the white road that waved gently, like a ground swell." Tom wasn't interested in the driver's stories or conversation. He was amazed with the road; the road that would finally take him home. What seemed simplistic and common to the driver, seeing as he drives the roads everyday, was actually astonishing and wonderful to Tom Joad, because it was the object that would take him back to his home, his family, and his comfort.
Later on in the book, the Joad family decides on the arduous trek for a better life. They had seen pamphlets proclaiming of great jobs in California and packed up all their goods and set out for Route 66; the road that would take them there. Steinbeck described Route 66 as "The mother road, the road of flight," meaning that it was incredibly important and allowed many to 'fly' to a better place. This is what the Joads wanted. They dreamed of the road taking them to California and to jobs and to happiness. The road gave them that hope. Unfortunately, the jobs were all taken and California was full of unemployed people. But the road still gave them the hope to go there, and even though it was already so occupied, it was in some ways better than their old life.
Finally, the road is symbolic of possible dangers. Chapter three is this huge extended metaphor about a turtle and the road it needed to cross. This is parallel to the Joads and their 'road'; the entire journey ahead of them. When attempting to cross it, the road presented dangers, to both the turtle and the family. For the turtle, it was dangerous drivers, and for the Joad family it was problems like transportation, and having enough gas or money to get where they needed to go. So even though the road can lead one to something great, they have to be wary of the dangers and obstacles that they could face while on it.
The road is a journey, whether it's a journey to home, a better life, or a place full of danger. And after analyzing The Grapes of Wrath, the road can be any of these choices, and much more.
