Allusion with Battle Hymn of the Republic and The Grapes of Wrath

Allusion with Battle Hymn of the Republic and The Grapes of Wrath

Julia Ward Howe (1819-1910) wrote the words to "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" early in the Civil War. She intended for them to be sung to the tune of "John Brown's Body," which was an antebellum song about the abolitionist leader, who was hanged in 1859. With her husband, Samuel G. Howe, Julia Ward Howe edited an antislavery newspaper. In addition to being an abolitionist, she was an active writer and lecturer in support of women's rights. Though "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" became perhaps the most popular marching song for Union soldiers, Julia Ward Howe meant it primarily as a call to end slavery. The poet does indeed combine God and war.

"We must love one another or die. As Julia Ward Howe's 'Battle Hymn of the Republic' was a religious call for America to live up to its democratic principles, so too is The Grapes of Wrath a plea for America to reaspire to the spiritual ideal of democracy."

Allusions

-Pg. 388

“And the anger began to ferment.”

Over time, grapes ferment into wine and the wine symbolizes the last supper with Jesus. In the Catholic faith, Jesus is God’s son and “Battle Hymn of the Republic” is about how God is going to save the people fighting the war. The war also symbolizes the actual Civil War when it was written as well as the people in The Grapes of Wrath fighting for their freedom.

-Pg. 451

“We have been saved, they said. We’re washed white as snow. We won’t never sin again. And the children, frightened and wet, whispered together: We been saved. We won’t sin no more. Wisht I knowed what all the sins was, so I could do ‘em.”

-In “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, God is “sifting out the hearts of men before His judgement seat,” referring to the sins of the people. God is forgiving these men, as the men were forgiven in The Grapes of Wrath.

-Pg. 472

“The men looked up at him, and then down ast the ground, and their feet moved restlessly and they shifted their weight from one leg to the other.”

-The men here are uncomfortable to join in the revolt, because they are afraid what will happen to them if they follow in their footsteps. That’s how the followers of Jesus were, before he was crucified. They did not admit they were followers of him because they did not want to get killed themselves. The followers were too afraid for themselves.

-Pg. 477

“…and in the eyes of the people there is a failure; and in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath. In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage.”

-The “grapes of wrath” mentioned in this quote alludes back to “Battle Hymn of the Republic”. The people here are getting angrier and angrier, and now they are almost ready for the revolt. Since “Battle Hymn of the Republic” was written for the Civil War, it is the same concept; a civil war. Rich farmers are angering the poorer farmers, who want to rebel.

-Pg. 557

“Stick out a han’ to the little fella, he’s wore out. Run in ahead an’ git us four poun’ of side-meat. The ol’ woman’ll make some nice biscuits tonight, ef she ain’t too tired.”

-This is showing the Republic, the people working together. The Republic is what “Battle Hymn of the Republic” is about. The Republic is working together for a revolt.

**In keeping with these blended themes of God and war, Julia Ward Howe has described God in the poem not as kind and merciful, but as someone who is angry over the sins (primarily slavery) of man and is seeking justice. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword; His righteous sentence; He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgement-seat. The poet is comparing God's anger (wrath) to grapes. When grapes are ripe, they are pressed into wine. Howe is saying that God's anger has been growing and is now mature and strong; he is ready to act upon it the way a wine-maker would press grapes into a vintage wine.
The theme of god and war connects to "The Grapes of Wrath" because the characters are faced with the struggle between what they believe is holy behavior and the revolt that they know is necessary. Just like Howe is enraged over the issue of slavery, John Steinbeck too is equally enraged over the treatment of the migrant workers. Also, just like Howe explains that God's anger is pressing the graces into wine, the anger of God in "The Grapes of wrath" has also become so strong that it is ready to "ferment into wine (revolution). "On the highways the people moved like ants and searched for work, for food. And the anger began to ferment."**

Symbolism:

The grapes represent the people who are becoming angrier and angrier with the rich farmers. The grapes are fermenting, like the people's anger.

Rose of Sharon represents the lilies and the brambles, like when Rose climbed through the pricker brushes.

Literary Elements:

1. John Steinbeck uses syntax in "The Grapes of Wrath" through the repetition of the descriptions of the dust bowl. Steineck constantly repeats himself when describing the dust bowl as red in the fist couple of pages in the book.

2. Steinbeck also illustrates allusions through these repetitions because they sound like the bible. Throughout "The Grapes of Wrath" the author continuously alludes to the bible through names, such as Jim Casy (JC) and Rose of Sharon.

3. John Steinbeck also illustrates puns on words such as God and Jesus when referring to Jim Casy. On page 527 when the deputy is about to kill Jim Casy, the other deputy says, "Jesus, George I think you killed him." Although the word Jesus is colloquially used to show surprise, Steinbeck uses it here as a pun to call Jim Casy Jesus.

God's anger, explained by Julia Ward Howe, in the song, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," also echoes one of the central themes in John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath." Although Howe was referring to slavery, an important issue of the time, and Steinbeck's anger refers to the mistreatment of the poor, migrant workers, the common idea that God is enraged by one group of humans exerting absolute power over the lives of a less fortunate group remains.

Vocab
1. Fer·ment (fûr m nt ) n.
1. Something, such as a yeast, bacterium, mold, or enzyme, that causes fermentation.
2. Fermentation.
3.
a. A state of agitation or of turbulent change or development.
b. An agent that precipitates or is capable of precipitating such a state; a catalyst.

2. pu·tre·fy (py tr -f )
v. pu·tre·fied, pu·tre·fy·ing, pu·tre·fies
v. tr.
1. To cause to decay and have a foul odor. See Synonyms at decay.
2. To make gangrenous.

v. intr.
1. To become decayed and have a foul odor.
2. To become gangrenous.

3. ju·bi·lant (j b -l nt)adj.
1. Exultingly joyful.
2. Expressing joy.

4. wrath (r th, räth) n.
1. Forceful, often vindictive anger. See Synonyms at anger.
2.
a. Punishment or vengeance as a manifestation of anger.
b. Divine retribution for sin.
5. vin·tage (v n t j) n.
1. The yield of wine or grapes from a vineyard or district during one season.
2. Wine, usually of high quality, identified as to year and vineyard or district of origin.
3. The year or place in which a wine is bottled.
4.
a. The harvesting of a grape crop.
b. The initial stages of winemaking.
5. Informal.
a. A group or collection of people or things sharing certain characteristics.
b. A year or period of origin: a car of 1942 vintage.
c. Length of existence; age.

6. trans·fig·ure (tr ns-f g y r)
tr.v. trans·fig·ured, trans·fig·ur·ing, trans·fig·ures
1. To alter the outward appearance of; transform. See Synonyms at convert.
2. To exalt or glorify.