What happens to Al at the end of the novel?

• A. He dies.
• B. He plans to marry Aggie Wainwright and stay with the Wainwrights.
• C. He moves away for work.
• D. He becomes a leader.

Answer: (B)

Al’s ending centers on a shift from wandering and struggle toward a personal, grounded future. He falls into a steady romance with Aggie Wainwright, the daughter of neighbors who have helped the Joads, and makes the choice to marry her and stay with the Wainwrights. This moment shows Steinbeck’s idea that amid a world of loss and displacement, small, intimate commitments—like building a home with someone you love—can offer a sense of stability and hope for a future. The other possibilities don’t align with what the text presents at the close: Al doesn’t die or become a leader, nor does he depart for work; instead, he envisions a life tied to Aggie and the Wainwrights.