Which statement best captures the novel's stance on resolving worker grievances?

• A. The novel endorses collective bargaining as a path to fair wages
• B. The novel rejects unions as ineffective
• C. The novel supports the viability of the American Dream
• D. The novel emphasizes religious charity over organization

Answer: (A)

Resolving worker grievances in the novel is shown as something that happens when workers unite and bargain together, not when individuals go it alone. The narrative highlights the impact of solidarity among the migrant laborers, with characters like Jim Casy pushing for collective action and the community beginning to organize to demand fair pay and humane working conditions. Through scenes of organizing efforts and small strikes, the text presents collective bargaining as a practical, moral means to challenge the power of landowners and contractors who profit from exploitative conditions.

Charity or personal virtue alone isn’t framed as enough to fix the system; while human kindness and family loyalty are present, the lasting solution the story points toward comes from workers standing together and using their collective voice. The other options don’t fit because the book isn’t arguing that unions are useless, that the American Dream will automatically resolve the workers’ troubles, or that charity should take the place of organization. The emphasis is on organized action as the path to a more just wage and life for the laborers.