Chapters 14-16: "This is the beginning - from 'I' to 'we.'"

It takes a lot for a person to admit defeat and to realize that there are certain circumstances that they cannot overcome alone. When the Joad's meet the Wilson's along the side of the road, it is not obvious at first that they are going to need each other's help in order to make it further west. It is always easier to look at other's misfortunes and tell yourself, "Well, that's too bad for them. Lucky for me though, I've got what I need". Everyone is capable of doing the right thing, even if it forces us to sacrifice some luxuries of our own. Chapter 14 illustrates how people do not do things in order to be praised for their good deeds,  but rather because they know that it is what they have to do.
"Them wasn't two-for-a-cent candy," he said. 
"What's it to ya?" Mae said fiercely.
"Them was a nickel apiece candy," said Bill. (pg 161)
When the father and his two sons come into the diner/store, Mae sees how poor they are and that they are struggling to get by on their journey. She took note of how the boys stared into the candy case, with a wishful look in their eyes. Steinbeck wrote Mae's character as the kind of woman who does not take crap from anybody and really sticks to her guns. In that instant though, she got real. She could see in the father's eyes that he wanted to make his boys happy more than anything, so by allowing him to afford something special for his kids, it shows that it is possible for everyone to have compassion for others.


"We been nothin' but trouble, nothin' but trouble." (pg 167)
The Wilson's are the kind of couple that are forever grateful for anything that anyone gives them. Their truck has given them trouble since day one of their journey. Loneliness comes and goes throughout the journey for all the families. If one family was struggling, there was a very good chance that many others were in the same situation. Families bonded and came together with similarities that they discovered when camping over night. Suddenly, it was not so lonely to be alone. Helping a fella out was just what you did. If someone needed a blanket to keep their baby warm, you lent them yours for the night because in that moment, that blanket probed to be life or death for the parents' child. Later on down the road, someone else would return the favor because that is just what folks did back then. They did not assist others to be praised or to win awards, they did it because it needed to be done. The Joad's took the Wilson's along with them after they formed a bond since Grampa died in the Wilson's tent. The Joad's did not know how else to thank them except help them further their journey. They became one large family and there was nothing that could be done to break them apart.