You Knity (Chapters 16 - 19, Option D)*

In The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, the role of the unity of people plays a large role in the character's lives. At the beginning of the story, this unity between people was isolated within singular families such as the Joads. The Joads were united only together, with the grandparents, parents, and children, and followed a very traditional family roles. Pa was the leader, followed by Ma, then the grandparents and children. As they traveled, the traditional roles broke down, as Ma took lead, and people relied on each other such as Al for all things car related. However this trust was still centralized within their own family and not to others. But as they traveled, the reach of family and unity expanded as they added the Wilsons to their group.

This concept of expand unity, through multiple families is described by Steinbeck as:

In the daylight they scuttled like bugs to the westward; and as the dark caught them, they clustered like bugs near to shelter and to water. And because they were lonely and perplexed, because they had all come from a place of sadness and worry and defeat, and because they were all going to a new mysterious place, they huddled together; they talked together; they shared their lives, their food, and the things they hoped for in the new country. (193)

Traveling through perilous lands, the migrants all flocked towards similar places for "shelter" and "water". They came together in places that they all wanted to be to survive. It was here that people could expand their unity past their immediate family, in areas of high density and where they all shared similar goals and problems. They had faced similar hardships of "sadness" or "defeat", and faced a common goal to reach "a new mysterious place" of California. These similarities brought people together. They are able to unite to help each other cope with their problems and help each other face new problems that appear along their journey. Having faced many or all of the same problems, they looked to each other for support, and additionally gain more skills to help each other out. They did things "together" rather than the singular families they were in before. It creates a unity among the families instead of singling out each individual family. The Joads, once a contained family unit, had expanded the bounds of their family to reach others, such as the Wilsons. It was a belief to help each other, and with that it brought people together. They all had things that each other needed, and if they did not, the value of companionship was often more than enough. And it is only with these larger family units are they able to attempt the trek towards California.