When picking cotton, how do the wages compare to other jobs the Joads have had since coming to California?

When picking cotton, how do the wages compare to other jobs the Joads have had since coming to California?

• A. A little above average
• B. Same as everywhere else
• C. Best of all
• D. Below average

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is that the cotton-picking job pays more than the other work the Joads have done since arriving in California. In the narrative, they take on several migrant labor tasks—different crops and harvests where pay is low or erratic—but the cotton fields are described as offering the best wages they’ve seen. So, even though the work is hard, the daily or per-day earnings from cotton picking stand out as higher than their other California jobs. This contrast helps show how precarious and limited migrant labor is: even the best-paying stint isn’t enough to fully stabilize the family, but it is still the most lucrative option they’ve found.

The main idea here is that the cotton-picking job pays more than the other work the Joads have done since arriving in California. In the narrative, they take on several migrant labor tasks—different crops and harvests where pay is low or erratic—but the cotton fields are described as offering the best wages they’ve seen. So, even though the work is hard, the daily or per-day earnings from cotton picking stand out as higher than their other California jobs. This contrast helps show how precarious and limited migrant labor is: even the best-paying stint isn’t enough to fully stabilize the family, but it is still the most lucrative option they’ve found.