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Relocation and starting over is one of the big themes in Grapes of Wrath. The Dust Bowl, among other things, negatively impacted the land, and furthermore, the people inhabiting it. It was a new era, one people had to adapt to. This meant that a lot of families had to leave in order to survive. Unfortunately, not everyone could afford cars or wagons, so some had to resort to hitchhiking. Hitchhiking is the practice of finding ways to use transportation, such as cars or trucks. Often families would have to walk a long way on the road before a car would come along and stop for them. Much like Tom Joad did in the beginning of the novel after he got out of jail.