What are some thoughts and reactions to the effectiveness of the chapters 17 through 21 in the novel The Grapes Of Wrath?

In Chapters 17 through 21 of John Steinbeck's
The Grapes of Wrath, the reader is struck by several central
aspects of the life of the migrant workers and the harsh reality of the world they have
left and the one they are now traveling through. His characterizations and plot
development are particularly effective in portraying life during the Great
Depression.

Steinbeck most effectively draws the reader's
attention to the continuing importance of family. Groups that travel the road, camp
together for comfort and companionship, further emphasizing the need for family and
community. Those who do not follow the rules are asked to
leave.

Loss of family is seen poignantly in Noah's
departure, Mrs. Wilson's impending death, Floyd's arrest and then Casy's, Connie
attempting to leave Rose of Sharon, and ultimately, the death of Granma. Ma observes
that "the family's fallin' apart."

Another central focus of
these chapters is the distinction between the "haves and have-nots." The migrant workers
are moving westward to escape the devastation of the Depression for what is now known as
the "dust bowl," believing in the American dream—that the U.S. is still the "land of
opportunity." However, at every turn, they are met with resistance, illegal and brutal
treatment, fear, and resentment. The landowners who have descended from those who took
land from others in California, now fear that the same will happen to
them. The migrant workers are not trying to
take anything, but the landowners arm themselves and try to squash
people who are already disenfranchised.

Finally, Steinbeck
more than effectively describes people who have lost everything, and live their days
haunted by hunger, fear, loss and death. People like Ma and her family try desperately
to hold tight to their hopes of a better life. Tom becomes increasingly angry at the
injustices he sees visited upon his family and others, while Ma cautions him to take
care and not violate the terms of his parole. In essence, Ma is trying to salvage what
is left of her family: those directly related to her, and those they joined with on this
trip. As the story progresses, this becomes more and more
difficult.