Grapes of Wrath - Chapters 14 - 16

Chapter fourteen of The Grapes of Wrath was the most confusing chapter in the story yet. It kept repeating the phrase: "The Western States nervous under the beginning change." It would then go on and talk about "man" and how he would build things, but they would just be destroyed. It also talked about "I" becoming "we" and how it was a bad thing because "two men are not as lonely and perplexed as one." All in all I was quite confused throughout the chapter and was glad when I found that it was only three pages long! Hopefully my discussion group can help make this chapter a little clearer for me.
In Chapter fifteen we are introduced to the lifestyle of owning a cafe/gas station on Highway 66. We learn that in order to get business and to keep business the waitresses are always nicest to the truck drivers. They are the ones that will bring customers, stop again, and leave a good tip. We also see how poor the people in the time really are. Everyone that comes in is looking for a deal, or for something free. Yet even though the cafe owners are trying to make a living, they still have a soft spot in their heart for children. For instance, a family came in with two boys looking to buy a loaf of bread for fifteen cents, which they sold him, and they also game them two peppermint sticks for 1 cent, when they were suppose to be ten cents each.
In Chapter sixteen the story goes back to the Joad's journey west. They are presented a problem though when the Wilson's car's con-rod bearing goes out. In order to fix the problem they must travel back about 25 miles with the truck, retreave a new con-rod bearing from a junk yard, and then work in the dark to put the new one in. While Tom, Al, and Casey are doing this the rest of the family has paid a half dollar to spend the night at a camp ground a few miles ahead, but as soon as they fixed the car, they also drove to the camp ground. They find the rest of the family here along with many other families. At this time another man starts talking about how there really arent going to be any good paying jobs in California because of how the business men work. He says that if they have 800 jobs they will tell 2,000 people to come and work, so then when two thousand people show up for these 800 jobs, he can pay them dirt cheap to work. The Joads and the rest of the families arent sure what to believe anymore, but try to stay optimistic that California will really be as wonderful as they all imagine. During this chapter we also find out that Grandma is starting to go a little bit crazy. She starts having fits and is yelling at Grandpa like he is still alive. The only prediction I have for the upcoming chapters is that Grandma will have a stroke like Grandpa did because the heat and all the traveling is just too much for her to handle. Reflecting on these three chapters I have to say that they weren't the most exciting chapters of the book, but they weren't the worst chapters either. I think they are about half-way to California right now with still a long, rough half to go.