Chapter fifteen is one of the better alternating chapters. It goes into the life of people working gas stations on highway 66. It shows that there are friendly people out there that are willing to help others in need. The chapter is mostly about Mae and Al at the gas station. It shows the people that come around and how Mae and Al are helpful to anyone that helps them, and if someone is friendly to them then they will be friendly back. A couple is coming by and “Mae knows. They’ll drink a five-cent soda and crab that it ain’t cold enough. The woman will use six paper napkins and drop them on the floor. The man will choke and try to put the blame on Mae… And Mae, when she is alone with Al, has a name for them. She calls them shitheels” (Steinbeck, 156.) These shitheels are people who have no respect for Mae and Al’s business, so they are not going to receive any in return. They like people that come to the gas station to hang out; talk to the workers; make purchases; and respect the business they run. These people are mostly truck drivers. They come in; act friendly; spend money; and tell stories. They dislike people who come in and do not help the business, but they will help a family in need. When a family shows up, the man comes out and asks to get water. Mae is upset, but she lets them. Mae is also hesitant to sell them bread for less than it is worth, but Al makes her give it to them because they are in need. Then Mae seems to show a profound hospitality. The man sees his boys eyeing the candy, and he asks how much they are. Mae says that they are two for a penny, so he buys them. After the family leaves, the truck driver says “them was nickel apiece candy” (Steinbeck, 161.) This really showed that Mae wanted to help this family. It also showed that if a family is in need and they respect the business then they are going to get a little help.
Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.
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