Eamon Barkhordarian

12/13/10
Period A & B
Navarro and Ichikawa
Great Depression Scrapbook Proposal

Character: Tom Joad

One page diary

- In early 30s

- Formerly in prison

- Lives with family, mother, father, brother, uncle, grandma, grandpa in dust bowl

- Harsh times in dust bowl

- Describe difficulties in living in dust bowl

o Crops dying out

o Bad weather

o Dust and sand storms almost daily. Each day need to clean out the dust

o Dust settles on food before we eat

o Can only have two meals a day with the little crops we grow

- Jail life is more promising for survival than living as a farmer

o Story of someone who went to jail because it was so bad

- Save up money to migrate west

Hey, I haven’t gotten back to you since I was sent to prison for killing a man. Well we got a lot
of catching up to do, don’t we? Man, these times aren’t like they used to be. The 20s were
something, but 10 years late and I return from prison to this hell hole. Oklahoma aint too
beautiful no more. I just got out of prison and I’m living with ma, pa, my brothers Noah, Al, and
Winfield, my sisters Rose of Sharon and Ruthie, uncle John, and grandpa and grandma. It’s a big
family, and its gonna be hard for pa to feed all of us. Seems like we’re all gunna have to work.
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12/13/10
Period A & B
Navarro and Ichikawa
It’s hard living in these times. The crops are all dying out because of the bad weather and the
regular dust storms. Heck, I think we have one of those at least once a day. Every morning ma
will call out to everyone to help broom out all the dust that’s collected in the house. We can only
have 2 meals a day with the crops like this. Even after we clean it all out, the dust settles on our
food before we even eat it! Dust, dust, dust. It’s so hard to make a living here that our old
neighbor Jack go to jail on purpose to have a roof under his heads and 3 meals a day he don’t
gotta pay for! Sometimes I have second thoughts of going back to jail. Well the family’s working
hard cuz were saving up our money enough to go to California. I hear it’s clean and everyone got
a job there.

I. Newspaper article describing harsh times

Picture of family migration westward to California

-http://teachingamericanhistorymd.net/000001/000000/000111/images/8b27316r.jpg

The dust storms have gotten so bad ur good old neighbor mrs. Wilson couldn’t take it
anymore. The winds so strong with dust it killed her almost instantly. Here is the article
in the paper.

- http://www.historicalnews.com/ebay/Oct25BB1934DustBowl2.jpg
 Eamon Barkhordarian
12/13/10
Period A & B
Navarro and Ichikawa

Dust storms have continually increased

in frequency and strength. Many citizens
are wondering when these disasters will
end. About 40 big storms swept through
the Dust Bowl yeast year in 1935, and
this dust reduced visibility for people to
less than a mile. The most destructive
storms, often called “black blizzards,”
carry tons of soil all the way to the East
Coast. They are beginning to cause great
heat among residents, and some are
predicting that the end of the world is at
hand. The filthy air is damaging people’s
lungs and causing illnesses such as “dust
pneumonia.” Piles of dirt have to be
shoveled out of houses and away from
barn doors. Cars and tractors are ruined.
Many Dust Bowl residents feel defeated
by the dust storms and the poor
economic conditions. A majority persists, however, and has
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12/13/10
Period A & B
Navarro and Ichikawa
gained the nickname “stickers.” Others left for new opportunities on the West Coast, where the
poverty-stricken migrants from Oklahoma and other Midwestern states are not becoming known
as “Okies.”

Fortunately, the federal government has developed programs to aid Dust Bowl residents. The
Soil Conservation Service, for instance, is teaching special methods of farming, such as contour
plowing, limited tillage, and terracing in order to
reduce erosion and protect the soil. The Civilian
Conservation Corps has started “shelterbelt”
projects to break the force of the winds. Trees are
planted in small groves from Childress, Texas, to
the Canadian border.

II. Letter to Eleanor

- Times are horrible

- Forcing people to leave

- Pay people to tear down houses

- http://www.okcc.state.ok.us/Home/stewardship/dust-bowl_photo.jpg

- Houses are in need of repair but not enough money

- No crops in bad weather wo no money

- We cannot make a living here

- Need government help

- Provide specific example

- Day before neighbors house completely flew apart in dust storm and baby died.

Tulsa, Oklahoma
March. 9, 1936
 Eamon Barkhordarian
12/13/10
Period A & B
Navarro and Ichikawa

Dear Mrs. Rosevelt:

I am 20 years old and will be 21 the 18th of this month. I am shut in my house. I have
been sick ever since the 12 of January. I’m living with ma, pa, my brothers Noah, Al,
and Winfield, my sisters Rose of Sharon and Ruthie, uncle John, grandpa and
grandma. You see, I have a big family, and its really hard to always put food on the
table. We can only have two meals a day and the house is falling apart. My parence's
are very poor people. Im too ol for school, but nun of my siblings can go to school
with the money we gettin. And doubt if they can this year. I have nothing I can do
but sit around and I get so lonely I don't know what to do cuz there are no places for
a job. And if you want to cheer me up and make me one of the happies men in the
world just send me some money to get a cheap raido. I have got proof by the
neighbors that I am sick and have nothing to do. My parence names is Mr. + Mrs.
Joad. My name is Tom. I live at Kismet. Many, many thanks if you would cheer me
up that way I wouldn't spend it for nothing but a radio. The whole family could use a
radio. I only ask for a cheep one.

Tom Joad
Tulsa, Oklahoma

P.S.

I live in the dust bowl. We produced almost no crop this year. At first, pa wouldn’t
take goverment help since he had farmers pride. We had to nearly starve for him to
finaly give up. Now we have to live off of the releif and theres no injoyment out of
that. But were thankful for it. My ma is sick an’ Grapa lives very poorly. He’s got a
weak heart. And that keeps my heart broken all the time. I got nothing to amuse
myself wit and no work.

thanks alot

III.Car Advertisement

- Jalopies

- http://murdercycles.com/v-web/gallery/albums/album35/jalopy_b_w.sized.jpg

- Cheap and efficient

- Get your dodge ’21 today!

- Good used cars. Bargains. Clean, runs good

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12/13/10
Period A & B
Navarro and Ichikawa
Right now our family is looking at what cars to buy. After a few years of eating only 2 meals a
day and selling any extra crops we get, we have almost saved enough money for one of these
cars. We have almost saved up enough money to buy a jalopy. Hopefully we can get a car and
bargain at a good price to finally be on our way to California. I cannot wait to see what is in store
for us. We have narrowed it down to a few, but I picked out my favorite one from a ripped out
advertisement from a magazine. It looks a little bent out of shape, but it will run good and for a
long time. It’s a sturdy one. After all, that’s what it says on the paper!

IV. Recipe

- Apples, beans, canned beef, flour and pork products were distributed through local relief
channels

- Green Beans

o 1 -2 lb green beans
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12/13/10
Period A & B
Navarro and Ichikawa
o 1 lb pork, ends

o salt

o 1 cup vinegar

o 1/2 onion

o water, to cover

Break beans in half and put in large kettle.

Add rest of ingredients.
Bring to full boil.
Cover half way, lower heat to minimal and keep it for 3 hours
Scoop out with slotted spoon or serve with broth.

Having only 2 meals a day, its important to have filling meals. My grandpas old recipe of green
beans keeps everyone filled until the next meal with the little food we have to eat. I would say
we have green beans 5 times a week and we cant complain. It’s a really great meal!

V. Moving to California Map

 Eamon Barkhordarian
12/13/10
Period A & B
Navarro and Ichikawa
Finally got the car we wanted. It was the one I chose in the magazine. It has lasted up till now,
and I’m confident it will last all the way to California. We got a big car to fit everyone in the
family. We have been stuffing all our possessions wherever there is room. The back is full of
beds, blankets, and personal items. We are planning to go through route 66 straight for Los
Angeles. Halfway there, we will stop for the night in New Mexico for a few nights and take a
rest. But otherwise we are headed in a straight route to California. We cant lose any time because
there is work waiting for us.

VI. VI. Advertisement for farmer

jobs

There is no work left in Oklahoma with the dust storms. The

crops are dying and the farmers are suffering. Dad is trying
his best to save up enough money but everyone that doesn’t
have a job is moving to the west. I picked up this sheet of a
job position that’s in Arizona. I hear there is a lot more
opportunity in California. On the way to California, we will
stop at Arizona and see if there are any spots still left for me
to work. Right now we can use all the money we can get.
One guy on the street said that the employers need 5000
people but send this sheet to 100,000. I hope there’s
still room for me.
 Eamon Barkhordarian
12/13/10
Period A & B
Navarro and Ichikawa

VII. Relief

Finally my dad let our family get relief from the local
government aid centers. I guess enough people were
going through the same thing my family was and so
the president has decided to help us. At first, dad
wouldn’t let us get help from someone else
because he was a prideful farmer, but after we had starved
for long enough, he had enough. I could see the look of
defeat on pa’s face when he said we could go to the office
and get our relief. Today me and pa go to the relief
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Period A & B
Navarro and Ichikawa
centers and get our checks. Hopefully this will be enough to keep us alive long enough to make it
to California.

VIII. Response to dust bowl and farm crisis-Roosevelt

 Eamon Barkhordarian
12/13/10
Period A & B
Navarro and Ichikawa

Reading the paper today and I saw this article about the president. After all this suffering, we can
now get some help. When I showed this to pa, he threw the paper on the ground in shame. I
guess being a farmer, it’s hard to accept outside help. But we really need the help. I don’t know
how much longer the family can last on 2 meals a day of green beans. I will try and convince pa
this is the best thing for our family. Until then, I can just sit around and wait.