What is the primary purpose of a blacklist in this context?

• A. A list of people who left the area
• B. A list of farms where the workers are treated unfairly
• C. A list of poisonous plants
• D. A list of people who attempted to organize against landowners

Answer: (D)

A blacklist in this setting is a tool to identify and bar people who try to organize against landowners. By naming organizers, owners can cut them off from work and send a message to others that collective action will cost them their jobs, which helps maintain control over labor and deter unions. This reflects how power dynamics and fear are used to suppress worker solidarity in the Grapes of Wrath world. The other options describe lists with different purposes that don’t capture the coercive aim of preventing organizing or striking.