Chapters 27-30

In chapter 27, they begin picking cotton, but in order to pick the cotton and make any money they are to purchase a bag. Also the men who weigh the bags change the scales to make sure that the workers don't make the amount of money that they are supposed to.
In chapter 28, the Joads finally have enough money from picking cotton to buy clothes and food, and they now live in a boxcar near a stream. Ruthie gets into an argument for showing everyone her Cracker Jacks and tells that Tom is hiding because he committed a murder. That night, Ma finds Tom in the woods. She wants Tom to take seven dollars and ride the bus to get away. Tom tells Ma that he is going to do what Casy had done, and he promises her that he will return. When Tom was gone, it began to rain and Ma went back to the boxcar. There, Al and Aggie announce to their families that they are going to get married. The next morning, they go out before sunrise to pick cotton. Many other families are out there already and it begins to rain causing Rose of Sharon to get sick.
In chapter 29, it continues to rain. It hurts many car, tents, and other shelters. There were relief shelters open during the storms, but one was not allowed to get relief unless they had lived in California for at least one year. Because of the storms, there would also be no work for at least three months. Many families began to starve, begging for food.
In chapter 30, it continues to rain, and Pa is afraid that the stream will flood so he and some other men try to build a damn. Also at this time, Rose of Sharon goes in labor, making it impossible for the Joads to leave with the Wainwrights. The water rushes through the damn, so Al, Pa, and Uncle John hurry to the car only to find that it will not start and Rose of Sharon gave birth to a stillborn. Unle John places the baby in an apple box in the stream and lets it float downstream. They begin building a flat surface on top of the car. The water continues to rise, and they remain on top of the car until they find shelter inside of a barn. In the barn, there is a starving man and boy. Ma orders everyone else to leave, and Rose of Sharon breast feeds them.
Throughout this book, everything just kept getting worse and worse, showing us no hope until the end. Rose took care of the man even after she just lost her child. This shows us the hope and how important family truly is.