Oh So Many Animals!

After reading Grapes of Wrath, and paging through overwhelming scenes with animals, I started to consider many of the different animals in all of the works we've read this semester.  As I mentioned in class, I couldn't help but think of the book Marley and Me because it is centered around the story and portrayal of an animal.  The turtle in Grapes of Wrath is representative of the journey and struggle that the Joad's face, while the dogs in Gatsby are symbols of wealth and conspicuous consumption.  Although the wild yellow lab in Marley and Me teaches the human's of the novel much more overt lessons than those in the novels we have read in class, the animals are positioned to help the character either learn something or give the readers of these novels a better understanding of struggles faced and class representations. 

Josh Gorgan, the author of Marley and Me writes, " "A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things-a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty." (<on a side note, this is one of my favorite quotes of all time).  Gorgan speaks about the lessons that Marley taught him as an animal, and even though the symbolism of the turtle in Grapes of Wrath  may not be described in the way that Grogan describes Marley (yes, i realize they are two completely different pieces of literature) the turtle clearly serves as a reminder of the Joad's journey west and can help readers get a different perspective of some of the raw hardships that they faced.