The Grapes of Wrath Page #25

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PA:

(angrily)

Glad to get shet of him. Never was

no good an' never will be--

MA:

Pa! Shh!

PA:

How come I got to shh? Run out, didn't

he?

TOM:

(looking to Rosasharn)

Cut it out, Pa. He'p Al with the

truck.

(He kneels beside

Rosasharn. Gently)

Don't fret, honey. You goin' to be

awright.

ROSASHARN:

(uncovering her face)

Tom, I jus' don't feel like nothin'

a tall. Without him I jus' don't

wanta live.

TOM:

Maybe he'll be back. We'll leave

word for him. Jus' don't cry.

(He pats her awkwardly)

The scene dissolves to HOOVERVILLE, at night. The jalopies

are lumbering up on the road, one after the other, as the

migrants scatter before the threatened invasion.

IN THE JOAD TRUCK, Tom is helping Rosasharn into the front

seat, beside Ma. The others are aboard except Al. Tom hands

Al a wrench.

TOM:

Just in case. Sit up back an' if

anybody tries to climb up--let 'im

have it.

PA:

(from truck)

I ain't got nothin' in *my* han'.

TOM:

(to Al)

Give 'im a fryin' pan.

(He gets into the

driver's seat and

starts the truck)

In the FRONT SEAT of the truck, Tom drives, Ma sits in the

middle, Rosasharn on the other side.

ROSASHARN:

(hopefully)

Maybe Connie went to get some books

to study up with. He's gonna be a

radio expert, ya know. Maybe he

figgered to suprise us.

MA:

Maybe that's jus' what he done.

TOM:

Ma, they comes a time when a man

gets mad.

MA:

Tom--you tol' me--you promised you

wasn't like that. You promised me.

TOM:

I know, Ma. I'm a tryin'. If it was

the law they was workin' with, we

could take it. But it *ain't* the

law. They're workin' away at our

spirits. They're tryin' to make us

cringe an' crawl. They're workin' on

our decency.

MA:

You promised, Tommy.

TOM:

I'm a-tryin', Ma. Honest I am.

MA:

You gotta keep clear, Tom. The

fambly's breakin' up. You *got* to

keep clear.

TOM:

What's that--detour?

As he slows down the truck, we see that half of the ROAD is

blocked with boards and red lanterns. a group of men swarm

around the Joad truck as it stops. A leader leans in Tom's

window.

LEADER:

Where you think you're goin'?

In the FRONT SEAT of the truck Tom's hand reaches for the

jack-handle on the seat at his side but Ma's hand clutches

his arm in a steel grip.

TOM:

Well--

(then in a servile

whine)

--we're strangers here. We heard

about they's work in a place called

Tulare.

LEADER:

Well, you're goin' the wrong way,

an' what's more, we don't want no

more Okies in this town. We ain't

got work enough for them that are

already here.

Tom's arm trembles as he tries to pull it away, but Ma holds

on tight.

TOM:

Which way is it at, mister?

LEADER:

You turn right aroun' and head north.

An' don't come back till the cotton's

ready.

TOM:

Yes, sir.

The TRUCK turns around. In the FRONT SEAT Tom is almost

sobbing with anger as he maneuvers the truck around.

MA:

(whispering)

Don't you min', Tommy. You done good.

You done jus' good.

The TRUCK is going back down the road as the scene fades

out.

A MONTAGE fades in: superimposed on growing fields hand-made

signs flash by:
NO HELP WANTED, KEEP OUT--THIS MEANS U, NO

WORK, NO HELP WANTED.

Then we see the JOAD TRUCK pulled up off the paved highway,

and jacked up while Tom and Al fix a puncture. Ma is seated

in the front seat with Rosasharn. Pa and Uncle John are

puttering about worriedly.

MA:

(thoughtfully)

Sump'n got to happen soon. We got

one day's more grease, two day's

flour, an' ten potatoes. After that...

(Looking at Rosasharn)

An' Rosasharn, we got to remember

she's gonna be due soon.

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