Grapes Guide.pdf - Minnesota Opera

The Grapes of Wrath Opera Box
lesson plan
title of lesson
Lesson 5: Steinbeck’s Naturalism
objective(s)
Students will understand Steinbeck’s use of naturalism in the novel The Grapes of Wrath and how it is present in the
opera’s libretto.
material(s)
• LIBRETTO The Grapes of Wrath (one per student)
• BOOK The Grapes of Wrath (one per student) – optional
procedures and assessments
The opera preserves Steinbeck’s naturalism in its own way. Have the students read the definition of naturalism and
the elements which fit the novel and then see how they can relate these elements to the libretto itself. (NOTE: There
will be some differences between the libretto and the novel. For example, in the libretto we are taken inside the head of a character
like Noah during his suicide scene. The novel offers us no such interior psychological glimpses.)
Naturalism: a theory of fiction which approaches life with a detached, objective, almost scientific outlook. Human
beings are portrayed as insignificant and helpless creatures who act according to their instincts in response to the
conditions of their environment. They do not exercise their individual intelligence and free will to any great extent.
They are like puppets at the mercy of the physical/political/economic conditions which surround them. Nature itself
is perceived as being indifferent. It is simply the environment and the physical forces which surround human beings.
Elements of Steinbeck’s naturalism as seen in the novel:
• Human beings as helpless creatures who are at the mercy of the physical/political/economic forces which
surround them.
• Emphasis on the animal nature of humans (reinforced by his imagery).
• Idea of economic determinism.
• Struggle for survival.
• Humans as victims of their environment (which itself is indifferent, neutral, “other”).
• Humans portrayed by their words and actions, not their interior thoughts.
activities
(1) In groups (perhaps one group for each bulleted item), have students explore Steinbeck’s naturalism as it has moved
from the “page to the stage.” What has remained the same? What has changed? How does the genre of opera lend
itself to a modified presentation of these naturalistic elements? How does the author’s naturalistic stance fit his
subject matter? Why do you think Steinbeck didn’t want to overly romanticize the plight of the migrant workers?
(2) Students can be asked to present their findings by means of a group presentation with as elaborate a set of criteria
as the educator chooses. (See the assignment for group work on the lenses for a possible model.)
(3) Students can also be asked to write on this topic using specific examples from the libretto to illustrate their
conclusions.
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