> "The grasshoppers came in on the west wind, a wave of them, millions of them, darkening the sun. They came in on the wind, and the wind blew them against the windows, and they beat against the car, and the windows were black with them, and they crawled over the windshield, and the car seemed to be slowing down, and the wheels ground and hummed and the car seemed to be sinking in the grasshopper dust... There was a rumble and a roar, and the earth seemed to tremble as the wave of grasshoppers went by, and there was a terrible smell, a smell of dust and decay, a smell of the end of things."
This passage uses hyperbole to emphasize the overwhelming nature of the grasshopper swarm. The author exaggerates the number of grasshoppers, describing them as "millions" and "darkening the sun." The use of words like "wave" and "rumble" further amplifies the scale of the infestation.
This hyperbole serves to highlight the immense challenges faced by the Joads and other migrants, who are constantly battling against the harsh realities of their situation. The overwhelming swarm of grasshoppers symbolizes the overwhelming nature of poverty, displacement, and the Dust Bowl itself.