Reader's Response to The Flood

The Flood is probably the most descriptive piece of writing I have read this year. There are so many adverbs and adjectives that make me think of the mood and setting. I feel as though the story is opening a door and I can look into the lives and situations of the characters. There were times that the description got too much for me to bear, however the words made the mood and tone stand out. "Gray, blocked, sucked." Not very bright words to use. No need to use bright words when the point Steinbeck wants to get across isn't bright in itself. The feeling of "death" almost, creeps through the reader. I can picture the mud, the tents, the bodies. The shaking of the people and the starvation thinning their bodies is almost too real. If a writer can make the reader feel what he/she wants them to feel, then they are accomplished and have reached their goal of attracting an audience. The dialogue of the characters is disguised by the lack of using quotation marks. Surprisingly, the tone of the people themselves do not sound totally helpless and depressed. It seems as though they knew that something this cruel would happen, and that they were accustomed to be out of work for the rest of the year or rather 6 months. This "acceptance of circumstances" adds to the readers' depression while reading the story. We feel sympathetic towards them, and wish we could help them through the rough times of joblessness. Nature was the antagonist in the story and there is nothing anyone could have done. Whenever the situation gets out of civilization's hands, nature has won and humans must surrender. For the stealing and the begging part... I feel that the government absolutely must do something to get it's citizens out of the streets. The failure to do so will lead, and has lead, to the killings of innocent people. The social classes have clearly separated and not one fortunate worker has reached out to give a helping hand. I credit Mr. Steinbeck for being able to capture the images of the past, and make us realize that we are fortunate to not have to deal with nature. We now know that we do not need to be at peace with nature to keep our jobs.