"Them Okies got no sense and no feeling. They ain't human. No human being would live the way they do. A human being couldn't stand to be so miserable." 两条主线,一条是前传教士Casy和Tommy之间伟光正殉道者火炬的传递,另一条大致是以Ma为主展现typical Okies的坚韧和共情力,类似于“劳动人民的脊梁”这样的概念,有一些美国版《活着》的感觉。