"Ever’thing we do – seems to me is aimed right at goin’ on. Seems that way to me. Even gettin’ hungry – even bein’ sick; some die, but the rest is tougher. Jus’ try to live the day, jus’ the day."
– John Steinbeck
The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 28. Ma Joad explains her philosophy of life and the key to survival to a pessimistic Uncle John. John wonders, "What’s to keep ever’thing from stoppin’; all the folks from jus’ gettin’ tired an’ layin’ down?" But Ma’s simple message of hope is to just live the day. She believes that everything is aimed at going on – hunger, sickness, and even death only serve to make those who survive stronger.