Kindness and Cafe Culture in The Grapes of Wrath | A Heartwarming Encounter

🚚The cafes along highway 66 cater to truck drivers, providing them with the food they enjoy and a friendly atmosphere.

🍞Mae, a waitress at one of the cafes, interacts with the truck drivers to attract their business and flirt with them.

🧡When a migrant family stops at the cafe, Mae initially hesitates but eventually shows kindness by selling them a loaf of bread and candy for their children.

💰The truckers observe the act of kindness and leave more money than the cost of their food, highlighting the impact of kindness on others.

🌟Steinbeck emphasizes the theme of kindness in cafe culture and how it can create a ripple effect, inspiring more people to show sympathy.

What kind of food do the cafes along highway 66 offer?

—The cafes offer greasy hamburgers, good coffee, and a wide selection of pies.

What does Mae, the waitress, do to attract business?

—Mae flirts with the truck drivers and engages in conversations with them.

How does Mae initially respond to the migrant family's request?

—Mae is hesitant at first but eventually agrees to sell them a loaf of bread.

What do the truckers observe after the migrant family leaves?

—The truckers see that they left more money than the cost of their food.

What is the theme emphasized by Steinbeck in this chapter?

—The theme of kindness and how it can create a ripple effect.

00:01[Music]

00:09Chapter 15 of The Grapes of Wrath describes the cafes along highway 66.

00:21Mae, a middle-aged waitress, flirts with truck drivers at one of the cafes.

01:01A migrant family stops at the cafe, and Mae sells them a loaf of bread.

01:38The migrant man buys candy for his children, and the truckers observe this act of kindness.

01:58Kindness leads to more kindness, as Mae reflects on the truck drivers' generosity.

02:04Al, the cook, hits the jackpot on a slot machine.

02:52Steinbeck emphasizes the importance of kindness in cafe culture and how it can create a ripple effect.