« La 66, le long ruban de ciment qui traverse tout le pays, ondule doucement sur la carte, du Mississipi jusqu’à Bakersfield... À travers les terres rouges et les terres grises, serpente dans les montagnes, traverse la ligne de partage des eaux, descend dans le désert terrible et lumineux d’où il ressort pour de nouveau gravir les montagnes avant de pénétrer dans les riches vallées de la Californie. La 66 est la route des réfugiés, de ceux qui fuient le sable et les terres réduites, le tonnerre des tracteurs, les propriétés rognées, la lente invasion du désert vers le nord, les tornades qui hurlent à travers le Texas, les inondations qui ne fertilisent pas la terre et détruisent le peu de richesses qu’on y pourrait trouver. C’est tout cela qui fait fuir les gens, et par le canal des routes adjacentes, les chemins tracés par les charrettes et les chemins vicinaux creusés d’ornières les déversent sur la 66. La 66 est la route-mère, la route de la fuite. »

In his book, Steinbeck, in the context of the Great Depression portrayed Highway 66 as the route of flight and despair. In the context it was understandable since the road was indeed mostly borrowed by ruined Oakies.y. All that the Depression had driven from their homes. Yet the 66 road has not always had the same image. This road, at the beginning, was Emphasizing the technological achievement which was the car and it was also , the symbol of freedom and mobility. As it was the major road route from the United States, it has allowed the development around it for thousands of businesses (motels, cafes, service stations ...) then She was dubbed "Main Street of America" (Great Street of America), or "Mother Road" after the words of the writer John Steinbeck in his book the Grapes of Wrath.
In this novel, Steinbeck dedicate a chapter to the Road 66. This road has a great place in the novel, and also in the film whiche was based on the famous novel.
Indeed, The Joad borrow Route 66 to go west, when the