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Abstract：The primary concern of this thesis is the archetypal qualities of flood in The Gapes of Wrath. John Steinbeck constantly uses references and allusions from Greek mythology and Bible. According to Northrop Frye's definition of archetypal criticism， there exist lots of archetypal images that deserve to analyze. One of the most important images conspicuously jumps into our horizon： the rain， water and flood. But few researches have dug deep analysis on this image so far. Therefore， for the better understanding of the whole novel， it is very necessary to have a profound and comprehensive analysis of the rain， water and flood archetype.
Key words： flood； Bible； archetypal
摘要：本文旨在探讨《愤怒的葡萄》中洪水的内在原型特征。约翰·斯坦贝克使用了大量来自希腊神话和圣经的引用和典故。据诺斯洛普.弗莱对原型的定义， 在《愤怒的葡萄》中存在着大量圣经原型。其中一个最重要的意象进入了我们的视野：雨，水和洪水。但目前鲜有对这一意象的深入研究。因此，为更好地理解整部小说，非常有必要对有雨，水和洪水原型做深刻和全面的分析。
关键词：洪水；圣经；原型
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 A Brief Summary of the Gapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath is the most famous and widely read novel of John Steinbeck. It is a story of the migration of agricultural workers from the dust bow of Oklahoma to California； the novel is full of bitterness and pain but not exactly despair. Through inconceivable suffering and privation shines still a refreshing ray of hope conspicuously absent in the other crisis novels of the thirties. It tells the specific story of the Joad family in order to illustrate the hardship and oppression suffered by migrant laborers during the Great Depression. The novel is divided rather neatly into three parts： the Joads' time Oklahoma， the journey to California， and their experience in the Golden State. It is essentially its humanity that triumphs. This novel helped in great measure toward increasing the nation's awareness of the seriousness of its problems， and won in time the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
1.2 Significance of the Research and the Main Argument of the Paper
As an angle of identifying the work， esp. its theme， it is a pity to neglect the study of archetype. According to Frye's definition of mythic archetypal criticism， Steinbeck's use of biblical images， can be called archetypes. In this thesis I am engaged to discuss one of the most important images of rain， water and flood within the frame of Frye's archetypal critical theory and we may get a new perspective in appreciation of the masterpiece. Most papers make analyses on The Gapes of Wrath from the point of and metaphor. From this point， most of them mainly focus on the "grapes" image. But few researches have dug deep analysis on this image so far. It is very necessary to have a profound and comprehensive analysis of the rain， water and flood archetype and thus to have a better understanding of the whole novel. Although my work is only a tentative study on this subject， it is based on the former studies and is not an isolated， blind leap in the dark. Therefore， for the better understanding of the whole novel， it is very necessary to have a profound and comprehensive analysis of the rain， water and flood archetype.
Chapter 2 Archetypal Image of Rain， Water and Flood.
2.1 The Grapes of Wrath and Mythic Archetypal Criticism
Based on the research of Frazer and Jung， Frye develops his mythic archetypal criticism. Frye holds that myth has a great many meanings of history and culture. In the theory of mythic archetypal criticism which takes myth as its root. He believes that myth equals to archetype in some way. Just as what Frye has said， however， archetype applies to meaning and thoughts while myth refers to narrative pattern.
Archetypal criticism is a very important school in the development of the literature theory. Northrop Frye is the most representative person. Frye gives it a definite connotation： A symbol， usually an image， which recurs often enough in literature to be recognizable as an element of one's literary experience as a whole."（Frye， 2009：131-239） So archetype is an independent structure unit which can be image， symbol， theme and character. Frye’s mythic archetypal criticism theory can be defined as it aims to find the shared features and evolution law of different type of literary works on the whole by the independent unit of archetype or myth in literature.
The Holy Bible is considered as the core myth by Frye which provides a myth frame for the European poets and the root for the western literature. Based on The Holy Bible， Frye builds a core myth frame which is the center of the mythic archetypal criticism. He claims that he will use the symbol system in The Holy Bible and some classic myth as the basic rules of literary archetype. Based on the Christian myth， The Holy Bible， and the old Greek and Roman myth， Frye studies the basic types and narrative structure in western literature. Frye holds that there are five kinds of modes in western literature： myth， legend， romanticism， realism and irony. It is from myths that the western culture experiences comedy， romantic story， tragedy， irony and then sarcasm. At last there is the trend of return to myths. The clue for the development of literary type is the transform of archetype. In this way， the different types of literary works in the literary history are connected by some basic archetypes and the literature changes into a systematic whole.
Archetypal criticism provides a panoramic sight into literary study which stressed the literary tradition and the links among different types of works. The theory puts the different literary elements- style， theme， structure and the title of a work together into the entire culture， thus a panoramic sight is available. Literature and the ancient myth， religious ritual， folk customs are connected through archetypal criticism. In the same way， the literature archetype connects different human experiences with literature experiences， and literature in its own way knows， understands and deduces the world. As a work of the western culture， the creation of The Grapes of Wrath has the close connection with The Holy Bible. John Steinbeck's Christian background and the Christian atmosphere， the characters and structure in the novel mirror the Biblical influence and function on The Grapes of Wrath. In the following parts， the thesis applies to the archetypal criticism to analysis the Biblical archetype in The Grapes of Wrath from the aspects of the images of rain， water and flood. 2.2 Archetypal Image of Rain， Water and Flood
A great deal has been written about John Steinbeck's use of biblical symbolisms in The Gapes of Wrath. However， one symbolic pattern---the rain， water and flood archetype---that comes from the Judaeo-Christian tradition has not been adequately dealt with. Therefore， a comprehensive examination of the rain， water and flood archetype as used by Steinbeck， particularly in Chapter Twenty-nine of the novel， will undoubtedly make a great contribution to the deeper understanding of the whole novel， especially the final chapter of the work..
On the first stage， the aim of Steinbeck's use of rain， water and flood imagery is to underscore the tragic overtones of the novel. In showing the image as a destroyer before developing the creative power of the symbol， Steinbeck uses the motif structurally， so that the readers can be carried from the tragedy of the first part of the novel to the regenerative scene of the final chapter.
In the final chapter of the novel， Steinbeck arranges the destructive features of the rain， water and flood archetype in a pattern of hierarchical importance. The water destroys the nature， the works of man， and even the man himself. And here in the novel， the description of the destructive forces of the rain， water and flood reverses the Biblical account of creation. In the Bible， the first three days are day of separation： light from darkness， the water above and the below， and the dry lands from the water. Yet in this final part of the novel， John Steinbeck mingles light and darkness in gray， the waters above and those below in a flood， and the land and water in mud. The purpose of this account is to create an apocalyptic vision of chaos and destruction.
There are numerous descriptions of the chaotic state in the novel. In the first chapter of the novel， for example， we have this kind of description：
"To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma， the last rains came gently and they did not cut the scarred earth….In the last part of the May， the sky grew pale and the clouds that had hung in high puffs for so long in the spring were dissipated， The surface of the earth crusted， a thin hard cruse， and as the sky became pale， so the earth became pale， pink in the red country and white in the gray country.
The dawn came， but no day. In he gray sun appeared， a dim red circle that gave a little light， like dust； and as that day advanced， the dust slipped back toward darkness..."（Steinbeck， 2000：1） And especially in Chapter Twenty-Nine， we also have such description as：
"Over the high coast mountains and over the valleys the gray clouds marched in from the ocean. The wind blew fiercely and silently， high in the air， and it swished in the brush， and it roared in the forest. The clouds came in brokenly， n puffs， in folds， in gray crags； and they piled in together and settled low over the west. And then the wind stopped and left the clouds deep and solid. The rain began with gusty showers， pauses and downpours； and then gradually it settle to a single tempo， small drops and a steady beat， rain that was gray to see through， rain that cut midday light to evening." （Steinbeck， 2000：542）
So in this very passage， the description of grayness of the landscape suggests a reversal of the clearly separated light and dark of the first day of creation. Steinbeck's deliberately used images in the above quoted paragraph， which includes clouds， showers， downpours and drops， have a close connection with water and flood. And these very images， the main symbols of this chapter， are still associated with destruction.
The destruction is further emphasized by a reversal of the second day of creation， which is associated with the separation or the waters above from the waters below. And Steinbeck makes a reversal of the pattern by the combination of the waters above （in the sky） with those below （the puddles and streams）：
"For two days the earth drank the rain， until the earth was full. Then puddles formed， and in the low places little lakes formed in the field. The muddy lakes rose higher， and the steady rain wipped the shining water." （Steinbeck， 2000 p542）
Thus Steinbeck skillfully related this paragraph to a reversal of the creation of the third day when the dry land was separated from the watery land. In the author's apocalyptic vision of destruction， the dry and the wet blend to form mud：
"The muddy water whirled along the bank sides and crept up the bank until at last it spilled over， into the fields， into the orchards， into the cotton patches where the black stems stood... Then the water poured over the highways， and cars moved slowly， cutting the water ahead， and leaving a boiling muddy wake behind."（Steinbeck， 2000：542）
Then Steinbeck continues his descriptions of the destructive forces of the rains. They not only affect the God's creation， Nature， but also man's as well. The rains not only "brought down the trees"， but also "bent the willows deep in the current". They also "poured over the highways"， "wet the beds and blankets"， "fouled the carburetors". Finally， the rains begin to destroy man himself： "Then from the tents， from the crowed barns， groups of sodden men went out， their clothes slopping rages， their shoes muddy pulp. They splashed out through the water， to the towns， to the country stores， to the relief offices， to beg for food， to beg for relief， to try to steal， to lie." （Steinbeck， 2000：544）
Therefore， we can say that the destruction experienced by man is not only moral， but also physical. Readers are able to effortlessly connect the destructive forces of waters， rains and floods with the condition of the flood in The Holy Bible：
"The flood continued for forty days， and the water became deep enough for the boat to float. The water became deeper， and the boat drifted on the surface. [...] Every living being on the earth died-every bird， every animal， and every person. [...]The LORD destroyed all living beings on the earth." （Genesis， 7：17-22）
It can say that the flood is a destructive force that ruins the nature and human being. Steinbeck makes use of the damaged force of the image of flood， water and rains to cultivate the Biblical atmosphere in The Grapes of Wrath. But the implied meaning of the image of water， rains and floods is beyond this. We all know that in The Holy Bible Noah survived the flood because he follows the God's will. In the novel of Steinbeck， water that forms the flood that damages the migrants also acts as the water which baptizes the Joads and other migrants. During the period of the flood， it is the alteration of the people. They do not wait effortless and look on but work together to fight against the flood. Noah chooses to build the Noah's Ark following the God's instruction. When Pa realizes the water is rising， he encourages others to help to build a bank. The flood plays a transitional part here. Hidden behind the destructive force of the image of water， the re-creative power exists.
In the novel， Steinbeck writes： "In the wet hay of leaking barns babies were born to women who panted with pneumonia. And old people curled up in corners and died that way， so that the coroners could not straighten them." （Steinbeck， 2000：544）
We can also sense from this paragraph that behind the negative， or destructive features of the rain， water and flood symbols， lies the creative， or regenerative aspects of these images， because， in this very paragraph the pattern of human life is cyclic. We say so just because it is the women" who panted with pneumonia"， and it is the "old people" who were curled up in the corners and died. In spite of these destructive elements， the creative element， the regenerative force， is given birth---babies were born. Thus， the paragraph that is destructive in tone is placed before that which is optimistic. In this way， Steinbeck shifts the tone of the chapter， and that of the whole novel. Hence the image of water， rain and flood is no more connected with the destructive force but stands for the birth and regeneration. Just as Micea Eliade points out in his work， "A flood destroys simony because the ‘forms’ are old and worn out， but it is always followed by a new humanity and a new history." （Elude Mircea， 1963： 210）
So no longer associated with destruction， Steinbeck uses the rain， water and flood image to symbolize both birth and regeneration. The final lines of the penultimate chapter connect the rains with a faint but unmistakable hope for the new life，" Tiny points of grass came through the earth， and in a few days the hills were pale green with the beginning year." （Steinbeck， 2000： 545）
Thus the remunerative pattern is quite clearly expressed through the "beginning" year， and the color of green， which is always associated with fecundity and hope. And we can also see that， the Old Testament biblical flood， which is culminated in this chapter， seems to be rising over the corruption of California in a promise of a new beginning， a new start a re-creation.
Chapter 3 Conclusion
In the proceeding parts I have careful studied the image of rain， water and flood by use of mythic archetypal criticism. It will be definitely helpful to the further comprehension of The Gapes of Wrath and that image had more than one latent meaning. It is observable that sometimes the image of water is a symbol of destructive force but at the end of the novel it becomes a force of rebirth. The author does not arrange the image in a random way， but makes it serves for his intended aim.
The Gapes of Wrath is a dense mass of echoes from previous literature， chiefly Greek mythology and biblical literature. Discovering them in The Gapes of Wrath， we can see that Steinbeck had not only read them： he possessed them； they are part of the material he was shaping. The Bible mythological and biblical images all recur in the novel. "Mythological themes clothed in modern dress also frequently appear." （Jung， 1996： 437） The Gapes of Wrath is such a kind of work of art. Owing to the archetypal qualities it gains its distinction， and powerful artistic charm.
The above-mentioned images of rain， water and flood can be called archetypes in that they express similar or reversed meanings to Greek and biblical culture. Such repetition of plot and images tie the discreet events together， and hint they have great symbolic significance.
Using this system we will see much more than the story tells you. As for the reader， the more powerfully he is driven by any of the elements the more profoundly he understands the novel. I think that this is the essence of the novel's technique and aesthetics. Bibliography
Brinal， Piere. "Companion to Literary Myths， Heroes and Archetypes." London and New York， 1992
Frye， Northrop. “Anatomy of Criticism： Four Essays Priuceton， NJ.：Promceton U.P.， 1957. Most of my discussion refers to Frye's third essay， "Archetypal Criticism： Theory of Myth"
Frye， Northrop. "The Great Code： the Bible and Literature." San Dieg New York et London： Harcourt Brace Jovanovich， Publishers， 1982
Hardin， Richard F. "Archetypal Criticism in Contemporary Literary Theory." The University of Massachusetts Press， 1989
Barton， John， ed. The Cambridge Companion to Biblical Interpretation[M]. Cambridge： Cambridge UP， 1998.
James， King. Good New Bible Thomas Nelson publish， 1977
James， King. The New Testament International Bible Society， 1972
John，Steinbeck. "The Grapes of Wrath" New York 2000
常耀信.美国文学简史「M]天津：南开大学出版社，2003
段雪梅.陈绍.“斯坦贝克小说《愤怒的葡萄》中的意象”，石家庄经济学院学报，2005/6
付勇.“《愤怒的葡萄》中的《圣经》隐喻”}J}.天津师大学报，2005/6
刘意清.《圣经》的文学阐释：理论与实践「M].北京：北京大学出版社，2004
温洁霞，“《愤怒的葡萄》中的《圣经》典故与象征意义”，外国文学研究，2002/2
金丽.圣经与西方文学[M].北京：民族出版社，2007.
（作者单位： 天津工业大学 ，天津 300384）
Key words： flood； Bible； archetypal
摘要：本文旨在探讨《愤怒的葡萄》中洪水的内在原型特征。约翰·斯坦贝克使用了大量来自希腊神话和圣经的引用和典故。据诺斯洛普.弗莱对原型的定义， 在《愤怒的葡萄》中存在着大量圣经原型。其中一个最重要的意象进入了我们的视野：雨，水和洪水。但目前鲜有对这一意象的深入研究。因此，为更好地理解整部小说，非常有必要对有雨，水和洪水原型做深刻和全面的分析。
关键词：洪水；圣经；原型
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 A Brief Summary of the Gapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath is the most famous and widely read novel of John Steinbeck. It is a story of the migration of agricultural workers from the dust bow of Oklahoma to California； the novel is full of bitterness and pain but not exactly despair. Through inconceivable suffering and privation shines still a refreshing ray of hope conspicuously absent in the other crisis novels of the thirties. It tells the specific story of the Joad family in order to illustrate the hardship and oppression suffered by migrant laborers during the Great Depression. The novel is divided rather neatly into three parts： the Joads' time Oklahoma， the journey to California， and their experience in the Golden State. It is essentially its humanity that triumphs. This novel helped in great measure toward increasing the nation's awareness of the seriousness of its problems， and won in time the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
1.2 Significance of the Research and the Main Argument of the Paper
As an angle of identifying the work， esp. its theme， it is a pity to neglect the study of archetype. According to Frye's definition of mythic archetypal criticism， Steinbeck's use of biblical images， can be called archetypes. In this thesis I am engaged to discuss one of the most important images of rain， water and flood within the frame of Frye's archetypal critical theory and we may get a new perspective in appreciation of the masterpiece. Most papers make analyses on The Gapes of Wrath from the point of and metaphor. From this point， most of them mainly focus on the "grapes" image. But few researches have dug deep analysis on this image so far. It is very necessary to have a profound and comprehensive analysis of the rain， water and flood archetype and thus to have a better understanding of the whole novel. Although my work is only a tentative study on this subject， it is based on the former studies and is not an isolated， blind leap in the dark. Therefore， for the better understanding of the whole novel， it is very necessary to have a profound and comprehensive analysis of the rain， water and flood archetype.
Chapter 2 Archetypal Image of Rain， Water and Flood.
2.1 The Grapes of Wrath and Mythic Archetypal Criticism
Based on the research of Frazer and Jung， Frye develops his mythic archetypal criticism. Frye holds that myth has a great many meanings of history and culture. In the theory of mythic archetypal criticism which takes myth as its root. He believes that myth equals to archetype in some way. Just as what Frye has said， however， archetype applies to meaning and thoughts while myth refers to narrative pattern.
Archetypal criticism is a very important school in the development of the literature theory. Northrop Frye is the most representative person. Frye gives it a definite connotation： A symbol， usually an image， which recurs often enough in literature to be recognizable as an element of one's literary experience as a whole."（Frye， 2009：131-239） So archetype is an independent structure unit which can be image， symbol， theme and character. Frye’s mythic archetypal criticism theory can be defined as it aims to find the shared features and evolution law of different type of literary works on the whole by the independent unit of archetype or myth in literature.
The Holy Bible is considered as the core myth by Frye which provides a myth frame for the European poets and the root for the western literature. Based on The Holy Bible， Frye builds a core myth frame which is the center of the mythic archetypal criticism. He claims that he will use the symbol system in The Holy Bible and some classic myth as the basic rules of literary archetype. Based on the Christian myth， The Holy Bible， and the old Greek and Roman myth， Frye studies the basic types and narrative structure in western literature. Frye holds that there are five kinds of modes in western literature： myth， legend， romanticism， realism and irony. It is from myths that the western culture experiences comedy， romantic story， tragedy， irony and then sarcasm. At last there is the trend of return to myths. The clue for the development of literary type is the transform of archetype. In this way， the different types of literary works in the literary history are connected by some basic archetypes and the literature changes into a systematic whole.
Archetypal criticism provides a panoramic sight into literary study which stressed the literary tradition and the links among different types of works. The theory puts the different literary elements- style， theme， structure and the title of a work together into the entire culture， thus a panoramic sight is available. Literature and the ancient myth， religious ritual， folk customs are connected through archetypal criticism. In the same way， the literature archetype connects different human experiences with literature experiences， and literature in its own way knows， understands and deduces the world. As a work of the western culture， the creation of The Grapes of Wrath has the close connection with The Holy Bible. John Steinbeck's Christian background and the Christian atmosphere， the characters and structure in the novel mirror the Biblical influence and function on The Grapes of Wrath. In the following parts， the thesis applies to the archetypal criticism to analysis the Biblical archetype in The Grapes of Wrath from the aspects of the images of rain， water and flood. 2.2 Archetypal Image of Rain， Water and Flood
A great deal has been written about John Steinbeck's use of biblical symbolisms in The Gapes of Wrath. However， one symbolic pattern---the rain， water and flood archetype---that comes from the Judaeo-Christian tradition has not been adequately dealt with. Therefore， a comprehensive examination of the rain， water and flood archetype as used by Steinbeck， particularly in Chapter Twenty-nine of the novel， will undoubtedly make a great contribution to the deeper understanding of the whole novel， especially the final chapter of the work..
On the first stage， the aim of Steinbeck's use of rain， water and flood imagery is to underscore the tragic overtones of the novel. In showing the image as a destroyer before developing the creative power of the symbol， Steinbeck uses the motif structurally， so that the readers can be carried from the tragedy of the first part of the novel to the regenerative scene of the final chapter.
In the final chapter of the novel， Steinbeck arranges the destructive features of the rain， water and flood archetype in a pattern of hierarchical importance. The water destroys the nature， the works of man， and even the man himself. And here in the novel， the description of the destructive forces of the rain， water and flood reverses the Biblical account of creation. In the Bible， the first three days are day of separation： light from darkness， the water above and the below， and the dry lands from the water. Yet in this final part of the novel， John Steinbeck mingles light and darkness in gray， the waters above and those below in a flood， and the land and water in mud. The purpose of this account is to create an apocalyptic vision of chaos and destruction.
There are numerous descriptions of the chaotic state in the novel. In the first chapter of the novel， for example， we have this kind of description：
"To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma， the last rains came gently and they did not cut the scarred earth….In the last part of the May， the sky grew pale and the clouds that had hung in high puffs for so long in the spring were dissipated， The surface of the earth crusted， a thin hard cruse， and as the sky became pale， so the earth became pale， pink in the red country and white in the gray country.
The dawn came， but no day. In he gray sun appeared， a dim red circle that gave a little light， like dust； and as that day advanced， the dust slipped back toward darkness..."（Steinbeck， 2000：1） And especially in Chapter Twenty-Nine， we also have such description as：
"Over the high coast mountains and over the valleys the gray clouds marched in from the ocean. The wind blew fiercely and silently， high in the air， and it swished in the brush， and it roared in the forest. The clouds came in brokenly， n puffs， in folds， in gray crags； and they piled in together and settled low over the west. And then the wind stopped and left the clouds deep and solid. The rain began with gusty showers， pauses and downpours； and then gradually it settle to a single tempo， small drops and a steady beat， rain that was gray to see through， rain that cut midday light to evening." （Steinbeck， 2000：542）
So in this very passage， the description of grayness of the landscape suggests a reversal of the clearly separated light and dark of the first day of creation. Steinbeck's deliberately used images in the above quoted paragraph， which includes clouds， showers， downpours and drops， have a close connection with water and flood. And these very images， the main symbols of this chapter， are still associated with destruction.
The destruction is further emphasized by a reversal of the second day of creation， which is associated with the separation or the waters above from the waters below. And Steinbeck makes a reversal of the pattern by the combination of the waters above （in the sky） with those below （the puddles and streams）：
"For two days the earth drank the rain， until the earth was full. Then puddles formed， and in the low places little lakes formed in the field. The muddy lakes rose higher， and the steady rain wipped the shining water." （Steinbeck， 2000 p542）
Thus Steinbeck skillfully related this paragraph to a reversal of the creation of the third day when the dry land was separated from the watery land. In the author's apocalyptic vision of destruction， the dry and the wet blend to form mud：
"The muddy water whirled along the bank sides and crept up the bank until at last it spilled over， into the fields， into the orchards， into the cotton patches where the black stems stood... Then the water poured over the highways， and cars moved slowly， cutting the water ahead， and leaving a boiling muddy wake behind."（Steinbeck， 2000：542）
Then Steinbeck continues his descriptions of the destructive forces of the rains. They not only affect the God's creation， Nature， but also man's as well. The rains not only "brought down the trees"， but also "bent the willows deep in the current". They also "poured over the highways"， "wet the beds and blankets"， "fouled the carburetors". Finally， the rains begin to destroy man himself： "Then from the tents， from the crowed barns， groups of sodden men went out， their clothes slopping rages， their shoes muddy pulp. They splashed out through the water， to the towns， to the country stores， to the relief offices， to beg for food， to beg for relief， to try to steal， to lie." （Steinbeck， 2000：544）
Therefore， we can say that the destruction experienced by man is not only moral， but also physical. Readers are able to effortlessly connect the destructive forces of waters， rains and floods with the condition of the flood in The Holy Bible：
"The flood continued for forty days， and the water became deep enough for the boat to float. The water became deeper， and the boat drifted on the surface. [...] Every living being on the earth died-every bird， every animal， and every person. [...]The LORD destroyed all living beings on the earth." （Genesis， 7：17-22）
It can say that the flood is a destructive force that ruins the nature and human being. Steinbeck makes use of the damaged force of the image of flood， water and rains to cultivate the Biblical atmosphere in The Grapes of Wrath. But the implied meaning of the image of water， rains and floods is beyond this. We all know that in The Holy Bible Noah survived the flood because he follows the God's will. In the novel of Steinbeck， water that forms the flood that damages the migrants also acts as the water which baptizes the Joads and other migrants. During the period of the flood， it is the alteration of the people. They do not wait effortless and look on but work together to fight against the flood. Noah chooses to build the Noah's Ark following the God's instruction. When Pa realizes the water is rising， he encourages others to help to build a bank. The flood plays a transitional part here. Hidden behind the destructive force of the image of water， the re-creative power exists.
In the novel， Steinbeck writes： "In the wet hay of leaking barns babies were born to women who panted with pneumonia. And old people curled up in corners and died that way， so that the coroners could not straighten them." （Steinbeck， 2000：544）
We can also sense from this paragraph that behind the negative， or destructive features of the rain， water and flood symbols， lies the creative， or regenerative aspects of these images， because， in this very paragraph the pattern of human life is cyclic. We say so just because it is the women" who panted with pneumonia"， and it is the "old people" who were curled up in the corners and died. In spite of these destructive elements， the creative element， the regenerative force， is given birth---babies were born. Thus， the paragraph that is destructive in tone is placed before that which is optimistic. In this way， Steinbeck shifts the tone of the chapter， and that of the whole novel. Hence the image of water， rain and flood is no more connected with the destructive force but stands for the birth and regeneration. Just as Micea Eliade points out in his work， "A flood destroys simony because the ‘forms’ are old and worn out， but it is always followed by a new humanity and a new history." （Elude Mircea， 1963： 210）
So no longer associated with destruction， Steinbeck uses the rain， water and flood image to symbolize both birth and regeneration. The final lines of the penultimate chapter connect the rains with a faint but unmistakable hope for the new life，" Tiny points of grass came through the earth， and in a few days the hills were pale green with the beginning year." （Steinbeck， 2000： 545）
Thus the remunerative pattern is quite clearly expressed through the "beginning" year， and the color of green， which is always associated with fecundity and hope. And we can also see that， the Old Testament biblical flood， which is culminated in this chapter， seems to be rising over the corruption of California in a promise of a new beginning， a new start a re-creation.
Chapter 3 Conclusion
In the proceeding parts I have careful studied the image of rain， water and flood by use of mythic archetypal criticism. It will be definitely helpful to the further comprehension of The Gapes of Wrath and that image had more than one latent meaning. It is observable that sometimes the image of water is a symbol of destructive force but at the end of the novel it becomes a force of rebirth. The author does not arrange the image in a random way， but makes it serves for his intended aim.
The Gapes of Wrath is a dense mass of echoes from previous literature， chiefly Greek mythology and biblical literature. Discovering them in The Gapes of Wrath， we can see that Steinbeck had not only read them： he possessed them； they are part of the material he was shaping. The Bible mythological and biblical images all recur in the novel. "Mythological themes clothed in modern dress also frequently appear." （Jung， 1996： 437） The Gapes of Wrath is such a kind of work of art. Owing to the archetypal qualities it gains its distinction， and powerful artistic charm.
The above-mentioned images of rain， water and flood can be called archetypes in that they express similar or reversed meanings to Greek and biblical culture. Such repetition of plot and images tie the discreet events together， and hint they have great symbolic significance.
Using this system we will see much more than the story tells you. As for the reader， the more powerfully he is driven by any of the elements the more profoundly he understands the novel. I think that this is the essence of the novel's technique and aesthetics. Bibliography
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（作者单位： 天津工业大学 ，天津 300384）