Symbolism of Dust in Grapes of Wrath

I think the thick, overpowering dust in the first chapter of Grapes of Wrath is meant to kind of represent the idea of different hardships in the world as a whole. When bad things happen in times of absolute lack of blessings, it seems like everything that can possibly go wrong does go wrong at the exact same time. The pain and suffering just kind of settles over everythign all at once until the person involved does not have much in the way of good left in his or her life at all. In the way way the horribly red, dry dust came in and coated every single good thing that they had such as their crops and their houses and all their possessions in their houses. Their bodies too were covered in this thick dust. In a sense, the dust covered over everything good that they had and left the people only to deal with the good that they had left.

Times were so bad that there was barely any green left visible in their crops at all, and the stalks were all shriveled and dying fast because the dust was robbing them of the moisture they needed. It was also difficult for the people to simply go outside because the thick dust stung their eyes.

Not only does the dust represent hardships in my mind and, I believe, in the mind of the author, but it also represents tests and struggles. In everyone's life, at least once, there will come a time where everything seems to be headed downhill. It is the truly strong of character who will be able to move past the unluckiness of it all and make the most of their circumstances. This is exactly what the dust that settles over the land forces the farmers to do. They have to rise to the occasion and make the most of what they have, even when times seem to be at their most hopeless.