manmade

Man has become a machine- faceless, impersonal, inhuman. But at the same time, the mechanism of the human soul is the primary source of this powerful drive towards barbarianism. Desperation, fear, the neverending struggle to survive. The Natural Selection of an anaimalistic society. As waves of transcendentalism crash against the ideology of social darwinism, Steinbeck uses this idea of dehumanization by personifying both the devastated tenant farmer and the desparate tractor driver by strategically placing detail, tone, and point of view throughout chapter five in order to distinguish the disparity between man and machine, machine and nature, nature and man.
Steinbeck utilizes weakness in the human condition in order to portray the dark savagery that exists within not only those with power, but also those who are weak. He places the tractor driver in an interesting perspective- at first vilifying him in his use of detail and tone such as, "he ate without relish". But then contradicts this persona by incorperating the tractor driver's point of view in stating that he can only "think of [his] own kids" Suddenly, the initial close-mindedness and judgement towards the driver is transformed into the idea that he is only doing what is necessary for survival. By creating this new perception of the "man behind the machine" he brings to light that sometimes people do what is wrong in order to do what is right- That humans are humans, no matter which side of the tractor they're on. All people struggle, all people are starving, longing, searching for guidance. Without the wall of barbaric behavior, both the tenant farmer and the tractor driver are struggling to survive. The balance of man and nature has been tipped and as a result, man is forced to return to a state of desperation until he realizes that nature isnt the culprit- ignorance is. Like the tractor driver said, "maybe the thing isn't man at all." It is common in human nature to simply search for a scapegoat- someone to blame for their struggle. Just like the poor tenant farmers hungry for an end to their struggle and someone to take responsibility for that struggle. Steinbeck puts the tenant farmer's point of view in, not to foil the tractor driver, but instead to unify them on the same playing field. It is not nature's fault, but the nature of mankind. That desperation that causes demoralization and chaos. That desperation that causes neighbor to go against neighbor. That desperation, that hunger, is the will to survive.