Chapters 3-6: Economic and Political Pressures

To the farmers, the banks were opportunity. As technology started to advance, farmers needed to stay up to date with equipment and tractors in order to stay as efficient as possible for a demanding, growing country. Farmers could borrow money from the banks to pay for the new pieces of equipment, but in time had to pay bank (the basic loan process). As the dust bowl progressed though, farming the land became difficult as there was nothing but dust to farm. And let's face it, no one particularly enjoys eating dust. The only solution for people was to sell their things back to the bank and then leave, otherwise the American Dream could not be achieved. 

While there are some characters in 'The Grapes of Wrath' that fought against the banks (Muley, Grampa), the rest cooperated with them. They knew that their families could not survive living the way that they currently were, surrounded by dust and debt. Many young children had to experience their parents essentially be treated like a wild horse; coaxed into captivity, tricked into thinking that they would have a better life, then when tragedy strikes, they break and tame them to obey and act like they want. As time went on, the banks became more of an enemy, rather than opportunity. It was as if the banks stabbed the people in the backs and expected them to recover on their own.