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Steinbeck uses colloquial expressions in all his dialogue in The Grapes of Wrath. Instead of
just writing 'Holy Spirit' or 'Christmas,' the characters say 'Holy Sperit' and 'Christmus.' [colloquialism]
Steinbeck uses similes to effectively convey certain scenes. For example, when describing the movement and desperate search of the Okies, he
writes, "On the highways the people moved like ants and searched for work, for food" (388).
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In order to directly reveal Casy's inner thoughts, Steinbeck uses the literary technique of stream of consciousness,
the narrative method in which novelists describe the unspoken thoughts and feelings of their characters without
resorting to objective description or conventional dialogue. For instance, on pages 109 and 110, Casy is so candid and loose
with his thoughts that he nearly forgets that he is saying grace for the family. "... and then he remembered. "Amen," he said,
and all the heads rose up" (111). Steinbeck is able to reveal Casy's process of thinking and most personal beliefs through
a stream of consciousness.
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