Steinbeck employs personification when describing a storm in Oklahoma, during which severe wind damages corn crops that have been planted by struggling farmers:
The wind grew stronger, whisked under stones, carried up straws and old leaves, and even little clods, marking its course as it sailed across the fields. The air and the sky darkened and through them the sun shone redly, and there was a raw sting in the air. During a night the wind raced faster over the land, dug cunningly among the rootlets of the corn, and the corn fought the wind with its weakened leaves until the roots were freed by the prying wind and then each stalk settled wearily [...]
In this passage, Steinbeck uses personification to imagine the wind and the crops as engaging in a physical battle. After deliberately “marking its course” toward the corn, the wind “dug cunningly among the rootlets,” strategically attacking the corn at its base with a clear sense of intent. The corn, in turn, “fought the wind” back and then “settled wearily” after successfully freeing itself. Here, Steinbeck employs notably human terms to depict a natural scene without any human characters. Throughout the novel, he highlights the close relationship between the natural world and the Oklahoma farmers whose livelihoods depend upon their ability to respond to changing weather patterns and environmental factors.