Chapter 22
The government camp at Weedpatch
Summary
The Joads reach the Weedpatch government camp, where campers elect their own committees, no deputy may enter without a warrant, and there are showers and flush toilets. Tom gets pipe work through Timothy and Wilkie Wallace. Their employer, Mr Thomas, cuts the wage to twenty-five cents because the Farmers' Association told him to, and warns them that a fight will be started at Saturday's dance so deputies can clean out the camp — because people here are getting used to being treated like humans. Timothy defines a red as anyone who wants thirty cents when the pay is twenty-five. Ruthie and Winfield break a toilet; Ma meets the manager and the Ladies' Committee, who explain the camp runs credit rather than charity. Rose of Sharon is terrified by Lisbeth Sandry's talk of dancing and dead babies until Ma drives the woman off. Pa, Al and Uncle John find no work: every gate reads "No help wanted".
Plates
Illustration style
Composition
Written: 6 September 1938 to 15 September 1938 Journal entries: #65, #67, #68, #69, #72 Ledger pages: 111–124 Dating: from DeMott's editorial markers in Working Days
From the journal
6 September 1938, Tuesday, 11:00 — Entry #65
Late start today. We have sixty days to go in this house, so I can finish my book here. Yesterday we put out the stakes for the new house* up at the ranch. It is going to be a beauty. Letter from Tom [Ed.—Collins] this morning. He has been on the road. Will be here this week end. I’ll be […]
8 September 1938, Thursday, 11:00 — Entry #67
[…] swim. One partial visit was all and now the money has gone in and we don’t own our house any more. God damn dog is barking now and it is time to get to work anyway. Well that is the end of another big section all finished [Ed.—Chapter 22]. Pare wired that he advised against my going on the air […]
9 September 1938, Friday, 10:00 — Entry #68
[…] I get through. The noise at the next house is abating. I always put down the time that I start on this work diary. Should be the time actually on the manuscript. But it doesn’t matter. Today, I’m going to deal to a large extent with Ma [Ed.—Chapter 22]. She hasn’t had an exclusive [Ed.—section] for a long time if […]
12 September 1938, Monday, 10:50 — Entry #69
[…] things are happening. Must be calm and not disgusted. But it is hard because I have been working too long on this book, longer than on anything in my life. If this book is bad, I’m going to be terribly disappointed. Today Ma meets the ladies committee [Ed.—Chapter 22] and it must have some charm. It must. It can’t flop […]
15 September 1938, Thursday, 11:00 — Entry #72
[…] quite know which one it is. Can’t very well do two more on camp life, or can I? I can to a certain extent. And then tomorrow do a general on music possibly, or on joy possibly. But today I should close up the first camp chapter [Ed.—Chapter 22] because the next is the dance chapter. Just have to figure […]
Source: Working Days: The Journals of The Grapes of Wrath, 1938–1941, ed. Robert DeMott (Viking, 1989).