Which author is best known for the 1939 novel about a migrant farm family during the Great Depression?

• A. Ernest Hemingway
• B. F. Scott Fitzgerald
• C. John Steinbeck
• D. William Faulkner

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is recognizing which author produced a 1939 novel about a migrant farm family during the Great Depression. That author is John Steinbeck, known for The Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939, which follows the Joad family as they leave the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma and head to California in search of work. The novel portrays the harsh realities of migrant labor and poverty, while also showing resilience, family bonds, and solidarity among people facing economic injustice. Steinbeck’s emphasis on ordinary people's struggles during the Depression makes him the best match for a story about a migrant farm family in that era. The other authors tackled different subjects: Hemingway focused on war and masculine ideals, Fitzgerald explored the Jazz Age and disillusionment, and Faulkner wrote about the American South with intricate, experimental narratives.