There is a crime here that goes beyond denunciation…
““There is a crime here that goes beyond denunciation. There is a sorrow here that weeping cannot symbolize. There is a failure here that topples all our success. The fertile earth, the straight tree rows, the sturdy trunks, and the ripe fruit. And the children dying of pellagra must die because a profit cannot be taken from an orange. And coroners must fill the certificates - died of malnutrition - because the food must rot, must be forced to rot. ...and in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath. In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The passage condemns a system that sacrifices human lives for profit, showing how hunger and suffering become a collective, growing anger.
In simple terms: People suffer when profit is valued over life.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and act against exploitative practices.
Themes
exploitation
social injustice
human suffering
economic inequality
Mood
ouaged
critical
determined
Type
literary
social commentary
When to use this quote
- agricultural labor
- public health policy
- consumer awareness
- activism
Key Concepts
capitalism
moral failure
collective anger
Questions to Reflect On
- What can individuals do to expose and halt such exploitation?
- How does collective anger become a force for change?
A Different Perspective
Profit motives can blind societies to human cost, making change difficult.