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Grapes of Wraith by John Steinbeck portrayed the awakening of a mans conscience dealing with his troubling trials throughout the novel. The character that goes through this monumental change is Tom Joads, son of two tenant farmers from Oklahoma. Toms conscience was changed from a loner who cared nothing about the people to a hardy leader of them. He first looked after his family on their trip that evolved into including the impoverished migrant farmers in California. At the beginning of the novel Tom Joads has just been paroled after spending four years in a state prison. He stops at a roadside cafe looking for a ride when he sees a truck with a No Riders sticker on it.
Toms conversation with this trucker is his first witness to the suppression of an honest working man by the larger more wealthy corporations since his release from prison. The trucker tries to socialize with him at this point but Tom is too absorbed into his own interest in keeping to himself. Arriving at his house with Jim Casey, Tom visits the abandoned house with one corner having been knocked in by a tractor. His family had been compelled to leave their land through repossession by the large corporations another example in Toms life how the larger are trying to control the less fortunate. This land had been his family's source of pride and livelihood throughout his life with them and its loss was the first sizable impact on Toms conscience that would lead him to an awakening. After visiting the land the Joads family had lived on for many years Tom and Jim traveled to his uncle Johns house nearby.
There Tom meets his family as they are making preparations to leave for California. Toms family has already sold off every valuable possession they own while living under cramped conditions on old and soiled mattresses in a house not built to accommodate the size of the entire family. Tom realizes that a family cannot survive under these destitute conditions unless they cling together as one unit. Because of this realization Tom becomes protective of his family, leaving casting off portions of his selfishness for the betterment of his relatives. Toms final awakening comes when he meets Jim Casy for the final time outside a work camp in the midst of a strike. There Jim Casy tells Tom that the only way the workers can obtain law and order as well as, fair wages, is to unite all the migrant workers together and fight against the larger controlling companies.
The statement is driven home when he witnesses Jim Casy's passive resistance in response to the threatened violence by the cops. As the police advance on Jim Casy he yells towards them, Listen, you fellas don know what youre doin. Youre help to starve kids. moments before his head is brutally crushed by a pick handle.
Enraged by the actions unfolded before him Tom grabs a pick handle and clubs one of the officers to death before hastily fleeing from the scene. This event finally made possible the awakening of Tom Joads. He recognized that if a common man were to ever get a fair chance to live their life, they would be forced to do so under a united cause. Toms awakening came slowly as he struggled to understand the toils of needing, not only to care for his family but organize the migrant workers into a force where they can achieve fair rights. During the final chapters of the novel Tom recognizes the importance of Jim Casy's work to unify the people bringing about a final awakening of his conscience. Through out history man has made many jones, far and wide.
Mosess great march through the Red Sea and Columbuss transferring the atlantic are only, but a few of mans great voyages. Even today, great journeys are being made. Terry Fox's run across Canada while having cancer is one of these such journeys. In every one of these instances people have had to rise above themselves and over come essence odds, similar to a salmon swimming up stream to fulfill its life line. Intense drive and extreme fortitude are qualities they had to posses during their travels. In The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck shows the Joad's endurance by his use of extended metaphors in intercalary chapters.
Steinbeck uses intercalary chapters to provide background for the various themes in the novel. This effectively for shadows upcoming events by telling of the general state of the local population in the intercalary chapters and then narrowing it down to how it effects the main characters of the novel, the Joad's. Setting the tone of the novel in the readers mind is another function of Steinbeck's intercalary chapters. In chapter three, Steinbeck emaculatly describes the long tedious journey of a land turtle across a desolate highway.
From the onset of his journey, the turtle encounters many set backs. All along the way he is hindered by ants, hills, and oak seeds under his shell. The turtles determination to reach his destination is most apparent when a truck driven by a young man swerves to hit the turtle. The turtles shell was clipped and he went flying off the highway, but stop the turtle did not. He struggled back to his belly and kept driving toward his goal, just as the Joad's kept driving toward thier goal. Much like the turtle from chapter three, the Joad's had to face many great hardships in their travels.
The planes of Oklahoma, with thier harsh summer weather, was the Joad's desolate highway. The truck driver represented the Californians, whom Buried food and killed live stock to keep the Joad's and others like them away from their dream. And sickness was their ants and hills. But even through all of this the Joad's persevered.
They were driven by great motivating powers poverty and hunger. Just as the turtle searched for food, the Joad's were searching for paradise, the garden of eden. The Joad's journey is second to none in terms of adversity and length. The Joad's incredible ability to over come all odds and keep going is epitomized in intercalary chapter three. Steinbeck uses his rendition of facts, the turtle chapter, to parallel the Joad's struggle to reach the promise land. Just as the turtle endured, so did the Joad's.
Never digressing from their strait and narrow path to California. Grapes Of Wrath Questions 1. What are the chief reasons for the mass migration to California? I think that the chief reasons for the mass migration to California where based on a few different reasons. The first reason was because everyone was poor.
They didnt have enough money to have the most basic necessities in life. They would even go to such lengths as to steal a neighbors house. No body was happy living in Oklahoma. They all had such hard lives that no one had time to do what they wanted to do. It was farm from sun up to sun down. That is what everyone did, and they didnt even get that much compensation for all the devotion that they put into their work day, after day, after day.
If I worked at something for twelve hours a day, and just made hardly enough money to keep living, I would get quite frustrated and not be very happy at all. Another reason that people moved to California was so they could move on to a better place. Living in Oklahoma, really wasnt all that good for the Joad's. They couldnt be very happy at what they had. They where a very proud family and wanted to get away and show everyone that they could do some good in this world for themselves. 2. Who are the members of the Joads family unit that set out for California?
Briefly state what happens to each of them. Ma, Pa, Ruth, Winfield, Uncle John, and Rose of Sharron all where in the barn. Rose of Sharron was breast feeding a old man, after her baby died. I think she was doing it for personal pleasures.
I dont think that she was sincere about the feeling to prolong the mans life. She was always selfish, and I still think she was at the end. I dont blame Connie for leaving her. Al left with his fiancee named Aggie, to start a new life with her. Tom left to become another Jim Casey. He knew what the power of groups could do, the listed to Jim, and knew that he could make a difference.
Grandpa died, of natural causes, and they buried him in a field, tore a page out of the Bible and wrote how he wasnt killed, and he died of natural causes. They then took the ripped out Bible page and put it in a bottle. Grandma died on the way through a check point. Rose had to hang on to her, and say she was really sick to a cop.
The cop fell for it, even though grandma had been dead for a few hours. Noah left early in the book, the said that he was going fishing and walked down a river. Flash, the family pet, got killed by a new car. The man at the gas station said he would bury it, I believe that he did. The car that hit the dog, slowed down, looked back, and sped off. Connie left, probably because he was sick of Rose.
Uncle John almost died while making the dam, but he was helped by Grandpa. He made it to the barn. Jim Casey got his head smashed in for trying to help his own people. Building up a union against the peach pickers, which where making high money, and making it impossible to live.
Jim died for what he believed in, and Tom knew it, he followed in Jims footsteps. 3. In what ways where the migrant workers exploited? How does Jim Casey fight against the exploitation of the migrant workers? How successful is he? The ads would say 800 people needed to pick peaches, good wages. But actually there where only 100 jobs available.
They would get a lot of people to come to California, then the competition for the jobs would be high. People need to eat, so the high wages come into effect. Jim Casey fights against the exploitation of the migrant workers by building a small union. It does work, because the next load of people that come through, which was the Joads family and many others, all got a lot more money to do things, because the need for workers was high. Jim knew that if there were no workers, the fruit would spoil, and the companies would go out of business. He was on the right track, and it worked for a while, but they caught up to him and smashed his head into the ground. 4.
What is the symbolic significance of the dust, the turtle, and the grape? How does Jim Casey function as a symbol? The symbolic significance of the dust, is in my opinion because of the lack of the ability to see what is in front of you. Not being able to predict where you are headed, or what is around the corner.
The turtle getting ran over by the truck driver, intentionally, really symbolizes a lot. It shows the big companies walking over the people, the people fall down, and then get back up slowly and come crawling back for more of it. They have to, because they couldnt survive any other way. The grape symbol is in my opinion that they life blood of the people is being stomped out of them.
Then it is enjoyed by the rich people. Some people would say that Jim Casey functions as a symbol because his name is like Jesus Christs. I dont think this is true. I think that Jim Casey was a good man, and he taught Tom a lot about life, and about groups. To let Tom continue in his foot steps. But I dont think it really goes much further than that. 5.
Compare life in Hooverville with life in the government camps. The government camps where good because people knew who to trust and who not to. The knew who was on whos side, and they had others like them to protect them from the law. They could through suspicious people over the wall, and could feel protected and like normal human beings. Hooverville wasnt a good place to be.
They had way too much against them in Hooverville. 6. Choose one main character from this story and explain fully what you believe this persons view points would be towards war, religion, and discrimination. Jim Casey was a very interesting man. He had spent the majority of his life preaching to people.
Teaching them rules and laws of life, and of God. He was a good man and only taught others what he firmly believed in. After many years of teaching he began to have doubts about God, Jesus, and about the afterlife altogether. I think that Jim Casey would strongly oppose war. I think he believes that no one should fight over a chink of land. I think that he would believe firmly in peace.
I think that Jim Casey deep inside still believed in Jesus and in God. I think he just thought too much about it all of his life, and began to grow doubts. I think that he was a very good man, even if he did have doubts about some things. I think that Jim would be one of the most unprejudiced people in the world. I think that he would believe that every one is created equal no matter what there physical differences might be. I think that he would gladly be friends with someone different than him.
I think that he was an honest to goodness man, who knew what he believed in and stood up for them, no matter what the consequences might be. The Grapes of Wrath Joad's Journey Through out history man has made many journeys, far and wide. Mosess great march through the Red Sea and Columbuss transferring the Atlantic are only, but a few of mans great voyages. Even today, great journeys are being made. Terry Fox's run across Canada while having cancer is one of these such journeys. In every one of these instances people have had to rise above themselves and over come essence odds, similar to a salmon swimming up stream to fulfill its life line.
Intense drive and extreme fortitude are qualities they had to possess during their travels. In The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck shows the Joad's endurance by his use of extended metaphors in intercalary chapters. Steinbeck uses intercalary chapters to provide background for the various themes in the novel. This effectively for shadows upcoming events by telling of the general state of the local population in the intercalary chapters and then narrowing it down to how it effects the main characters of the novel, the Joad's. Setting the tone of the novel in the readers mind is another function of Steinbeck's intercalary chapters. In chapter three, Steinbeck emaculatly describes the long tedious journey of a land turtle across a desolate highway.
From the onset of his journey, the turtle encounters many set backs. All along the way he is hindered by ants, hills, and oak seeds under his shell. The turtles determination to reach his destination is most apparent when a truck driven by a young man swerves to hit the turtle. The turtles shell was clipped and he went flying off the highway, but stop the turtle did not. He struggled back to his belly and kept driving toward his goal, just as the Joad's kept driving toward their goal. Much like the turtle from chapter three, the Joad's had to face many great hardships in their travels.
The planes of Oklahoma, with their harsh summer weather, was the Joad's desolate highway. The truck driver represented the Californians, whom Buried food and killed live stock to keep the Joad's and others like them away from their dream. And sickness was their ants and hills. But even through all of this the Joad's persevered. They were driven by great motivating powers poverty and hunger. Just as the turtle searched for food, the Joad's were searching for paradise, the garden of Eden.
The Joad's journey is second to none in terms of adversity and length. The Joad's incredible ability to over come all odds and keep going is epitomized in intercalary chapter three. Steinbeck uses his rendition of facts, the turtle chapter, to parallel the Joad's struggle to reach the promise land. Just as the turtle endured, so did the Joad's.
Never digressing from their strait and narrow path to California. Throughout history man has made many journeys, far and wide, Moses great march though the Red Sea and Columbus crossing of the Atlantic Ocean are only a few of mans greatest voyages. Even today great journeys are being made. In every instances people have had to rise above themselves and over come essence odds. The Joad's did just that by traveling to California to find work. Steinbeck shows one aspect of this real life journey by displaying it by a turtle and it s struggle to reach the other side of a road.
As the turtle is about to reach his goal, it is returned to it s original location, but it does not waver in it s determination, and continues across the road until it reaches the other side. The Joads family and Casy identify with this the most because the undergo tremendous heartache, yet they stay true to their plans and never give up. They are faced with death and sickness, but they never give up. Steinbeck wrote In the evening a strange thing happened: twenty families became one family, the children were the children of all the loss of home became one loss, and the golden time in the West was one dream This was what the Joad's were searching for they wanted to feel like they belonged.
Ma was the one who was mostly searching for this. This is her journey to keep the family together. Her belief that a broken-family will not be able to accomplish anything. This is displayed by her not allowing the two cars to split and arrive at California at different times, when one of the cars breaks down, as they are leaving Oklahoma. Ma says I ain t a-gonna go. The only way she ll let the family break up is if pa whips her and makes her go.
Pa s journey is displayed by his trying to fit in and make a difference. He does not handle this move very well, and throughout their journey, he is confused, and not as headstrong as Ma. He realizes this also, he knows that he can t help the family the way he use to. So he searches for anyway he can help. When the rain was coming it was this idea to dig a ditch. It was a good idea but it failed and it reflected on him.
Tom Joads is a very complicated individual, who is a tremendous asset and at the same time a tremendous burden. His Parole causes his family an unneeded worry, while his ability to get work while very few people do, also benefited the family. He is also the main protagonists for his family, with his independent nature, and the main follower of Casy s philosophy on human nature. Tom s journey let to Casy s death it wasn t his fault but he realized the importance of Casy s ideas. This ultimately let to this leaving the family to help other people. Tom said I ll be about in the dark.
I ll be ever where wherever you look. Wherever they s a fight so hungry people can eat, I ll be there. Wherever they s a cop begin up a guy, I ll be there. I ll be in the way guys yell when they re mad an I ll be in the way kids laugh when they re hungry an they know supper s ready. An when our folks eat the stuff they raise an live in the houses they build why I ll be there. Tom was in a way like a hero to his people.
Casy has frequently been compared with Jesus Christ, and his lifestyle of preaching and leading people in revolt, as well as sacrificing himself for Tom and the Joads family demonstrates this common held belief well. He also had a follower, or disciple in Tom, who after Casy s death carries his message, and aids other with it. The Joads family along with Casy show the benefit of people uniting in order to accomplish goals. Rose of Sharon baby symbolizes live and death. The baby dies but in a way it brings live to the old man who needs milk.
The end of the book is not the end of their journey. The people are only still at the beginning. But the hardest part is past. They realize that family isn t first.
Ma said it best when so said, Use ta be family was first. It ain t so now. It s anybody. Worse off we get the more we got to do.
The Grapes of Wrath By John Steinbeck Review By Nic Sherlock This book was published in 1975 but written in the 1930 s. It won the Pulitzer Prize and the author also won the 1962 Nobel Prize for Literature. The book is a story of the Joads family, and their trip to California. It tells of the migration of thousands of homeless families from Oklahoma to California. It follows the Joads family, who, evicted from the land by the bank decide to head for the Golden West to a land of plenty. When there they encounter poverty and oppression.
The book stirs emotion from deep within. It shows the strength of the human spirit under stress and the dreadful conditions the Joads family suffered. The Joads family began with Ma, Pa, Grandpa, Granma, Tom, Al, Ruthie, Connie, Rose of Sharon, Winfield, Uncle John and Casey a former preacher. Whilst on the road they meet the Wilsons who let the Joad's use their tent when Grandpa was dying. Many other characters drift in and out during the unfolding story. The character of Tom Joads is the most interesting.
Tom is the oldest child and a paroled convict. He was sent to Pentridge when during a drunken fight he hit a neighbors son over the head with a shovel killing him in the process. On release he hitches back to his parents farm and on arrival finds the shocking truth it is deserted with the doors ripped off. He finds out from a neighbor who is living off the land while hiding from the bank that, his family and many others were evicted from the land by the bank. He then walks to his uncle Johns whereupon he finds his family loading up the truck to head for California. He is invaluable to his family, using the skills he learnt in prison car repair, reading and writing.
He keeps the whole family moving at times. His younger brother Al who thinks he is god reveres him. A theme that comes through strongly is that a family is a family and should never be broken up either willingly or unwillingly. This can be seen in many places throughout the book. When they are about to leave Ma has still not heard from Tom whom she believes is still in Pentridge. She is worried and doesnt want to leave.
She is extremely relieved when he arrives even if it is unannounced. Unemployment is another major theme through the book. The Joads family head west to California to find work but the dreams do not materialize and they remain jobless and with little money. The biggest theme through the book is money. Every time the family need food, petrol, or car repairs they need money. It is a constant specter haunting their heads every day especially on the trip west.
They did not know whether they had enough money to actually arrive in California. The Grapes of Wrath is realist fiction novel. The author has gone to great lengths in his thick description and inventive but realistic dialogue. This included with the very realistic themes makes good reading.
John Steinbeck shows his disapproval of the bankrupt socio-political and economic system that led to the Great Depression of the 1930 s that is so well depicted in this book. This novel is as much an insight into the harsh conditions endured by many out of work families in the Great Depression as an entertaining read. The book is not easy to read and at times is slow but in the end the result is an entertaining and touching novel. The powerfully thick description allowed me to picture the book in my minds eye.
That always helps me when reading. Overall it was a novel worthy of the Pulitzer Prize it won. The Grapes of Wrath is a novel by John Steinbeck that exposes the desperate conditions under which the migratory farm families of America during the 1930 s lived. The novel tells of one family's migration west to California through the great economic depression of the 1930 s. The bank took possession of their land because the owners could not pay off their loan. The novel shows how the Joads family deals with moving to California, and how they survive the cruelty of the landowners that took advantage of them, their poverty, and willingness to work.
The Grapes of Wrath combines Steinbeck adoration of the land, his simple hatred of corruption; resulting from materialism (money), and his abiding faith in the common people to overcome the hostile environment. The novel opens with a retaining picture of nature on rampage. The novel shows the men and women that are unbroken by nature. The theme is one of man verses a hostile environment. His body destroyed but his spirit is not broken. The method used to develop the theme of the novel is through the use of symbolism.
There are several uses of symbols in the novel from the turtle at the beginning to the rain at the end. As each symbol is presented through the novel they show examples of the good and the bad things that exist within the novel. The opening chapter paints a vivid picture of the situation facing the drought-stricken farmers of Oklahoma. Dust is described as covering everything, smothering the life out of anything that wants to grow.
The dust is symbolic of the erosion of the lives of the people. The dust is synonymous with deadness. The land is a ruined way of life (farming), people uprooted and forced to leave. Secondly, the dust stands for profiteering banks in the background that squeeze the life out the land by forcing the people off the land. The soil, the people (farmers), have been drained of life and are exploited: The last rain fell on the red and gray country of Oklahoma in early May. The weeds became a dark green to protect themselves from the suns unyielding rays The wind grew stronger, uprooting the weakened corn, and the air became so filled with dust that the stars were not visible at night.
As the book continues a turtle, which appears and reappears several times early in the novel, can be seen as standing for survival, a driving life force in all of mankind that cannot be beaten by nature or man. The turtle represents a hope that the trip to the west is survivable by the Joads family. The turtle further represents the migrants struggles against nature / man by overcoming every obstacle he encounters: the red ant in his path, the truck driver who tries to run over him, being captured in Tom Joad's jacket: And now a light truck approached, and as it came near, the driver saw the turtle and swerved to hit it. The driver of the truck works for a large company, who try to stop the migrants from going west, when the driver attempts to hit the turtle it is another example of the big powerful guy trying to flatten or kill the little guy. Steadily the turtle advances on, ironically to the southwest, the direction of the migration of people. The turtle is described as being lasting, ancient, old and wise: horny head, yellowed toenails, indestructible high dome of a shell, humorous old eyes.
The driver of the truck, red ant, and Tom Joad's jacket are all symbolic of nature and man trying to stop the turtle from continuing his journey westward to the promise land. The turtle helps to develop the theme by showing its struggle against life comparing it with the Joads struggle against man. The grapes seem to symbolize both bitterness and copiousness. Grandpa, the oldest member of the Joads family, talks of the grapes as symbols of plenty; all his descriptions of what he is going to do with the grapes in California suggest contentment, freedom, the goal for which the Joads family strive for. The grapes that are talked about by Grandpa help to elaborate the theme by showing that no matter how nice everything seems in California, the truth is that their beauty is only skin deep, in their souls they are rotten.
The willow tree that is located on the Joad's farm represents the Joads family. The willow is described as being unmovable and never bending to the wind or dust. The Joads family does not want to move, they prefer to stay on the land they grew up on, much the same as the willow does. The willow contributes to the theme by showing the unwillingness of the people to be removed from their land by the banks. The latter represents the force making them leave their homes. Both of these symbols help contribute to the theme by showing a struggle between each other.
The tree struggles against nature in much the same way that the Joads family struggles against the Bank and large companies. The rains that come at the end of the novel symbolize several things. Rain in that is excessive, in a certain way fulfills a cycle of the dust which is also excessive- In a way nature has restored a balance and has initiated a new growth cycle. This ties in with other examples of the rebirth idea in the ending, much in the way the Joads family will grow again. The rain contributes to the theme by showing the cycle of nature that gives a conclusion to the novel by showing that life is a pattern of birth and death. The rain is another example of nature against man, the rain comes and floods the living quarters of the Joad's.
In opposite ways rain can be helpful to give life to plants that need it to live. Depending on which extreme the rain is in, it can be harmful or helpful. This is true for man, man can become either extremes bad or good depending on his choosing. Throughout the novel there are several symbols used to develop the theme man verses a hostile environment. Each symbol used in the novel show examples of both extremes. Some represent man that struggles against the environment, others paint a clear picture of the feelings of the migrants.
As each symbol is presented chronologically through the novel, they come together at the end to paint a clear picture of the conditions, treatment and feelings the Joad's as they make there journey through the novel to the West. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of our country and the Great Depression. It was a long novel, but you could feel the story because Steinbeck was writing about his own time period, not his ancestors or his children, but something he actually lived through. The Grapes of Wrath It is said that everything is done for a purpose, and if that purpose is not obvious, it could be evident within oneself. In The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, the story not only entails the tale of the tragically poor, but also an uplifting sense of discovery. The story tells not only of the physical journey to California, but of the characters spiritual travels as well.
By examining the lives of Jim Casy, Tom Joads, and Ma Joads, one will see the enlightening changes that mark their lives through the depression. Jim Casy's journey is an astounding one. He begins his life as a preacher, yet decides one day that his work is invalid; sinful, in some way. He says to Tom, I used ta get the people jumpin an talkin in tongues, an glory-shouting till they just fell down an passed out... An then you know what Id do? Id take one of them girls out in the grass, an Id lay with her.
Done it ever time. Then Id feel bad, an Id pray an pray, but it didnt do no good. Come the nex time, them an me was full of the spirit, Id do it again. I fingered there just wasnt no hope for me, an I was a damned ol hypocrite. But I didnt mean to be. ' (Page 28) He decides that he is not noble enough to continue his work, and grows distempered when others ask him to preach the word of God. He spends his time with the Joads family gratefully, but little else.
He does no real work to help them out; he spends most of his time thinking to himself. Although Casy repeatedly confesses his guilt for doing nothing for the family, he makes no real efforts to contribute, and remains on the sidelines. However, when Tom trips a policeman that was threatening to take everyone to the station, Casy takes the blame. Casy turned to Al. Get out, he said.
Go on, get out to the tent. You dont know nothin. Yeah? How bout you?
Casy grinned at him. Somebody got to take the blame. I got no kids. Theyll jus put me in jail, an I aint doin nothin but set about. Al said, Aint no reason for - Casy said softly, If you mess in this your whole family, all your folks, gonna get in trouble. I don care about you.
But your ma and your pa, theyll get in trouble. Maybe theyll send Tom back to McAlester. ' (Page 342) Casy further strengthens his morals by becoming a rebel against the authorities. He leads a strike against a pay decrease out of a peach farm, and when men come to do him in, he doesnt step away, but simply pleads his case. Listen, he said. You fellas don know what youre doin. Youre help to starve kids.
Shut up, you red son-of-a-bitch. A short heavy man stepped into the light. He carried a new white pick handle. Casy went on, You don know what youre a-doin. ' (page 495) Even as he sees the man means to do him harm, he stands his ground. He goes from a man who felt he had no role to play in life to a martyr for the poor and hungry. His journey is one of courage and light.
Tom is a rough edged man at the beginning of the novel. He has killed a man, and yet, seems to feel no remorse. His reasoning behind the slaying is also less than dignified. I been in McAlester them four years.
Aint wanting to talk about it, huh? (Casy asked) I wont ask you no questions, if you done something bad - Id do what I done again, said Joads. I killed a guy in a fight. We was drunk at a dance. He got a knife in me, an I killed him with a shovel that was latin there.
Knocked his head plumb to squash. Casy's eyebrows resumed their normal level. You aint ashamed of nothin then? No, said Joads.
I aint. I got seven years, account of he had a knife in me. Hot out in four parole. ' (Page 33) He seems to perceive his misconduct as a ritual of life everyone must undergo, and this lack of conscience shows one with little character or worthiness. However, when he finds his family at his Uncle Johns place, he dedicates his life to helping out the family and himself. He works on the car, towards finding work, and to comfort Ma when she seems to need it. His personality lightens as he becomes a vital part of the Joads clan.
However, when he finds Casy striking out, and witnesses his death, his natural instincts come out, and he kills Casy's assassin, thereby getting himself into even more trouble than he was in before for breaking his parole. Tom looked down at the preacher. The light crossed the heavy mans legs and the white new pick handle. Tom leaped silently. He wrenched the club free. The first time he knew he had missed and struck a shoulder, but the second time his crushing blow found the head, and as the heavy man sank down, three more blows found his head. (Page 495) The repeated blows demonstrate a lack of control possessed by Tom, yet, his manner for killing the man are slightly more justified than the man at the dance.
The differences between the two killings already demonstrate an enlightening of Toms character. When Tom goes to tell his mother that he cannot stay for fear of the family, his words show his complete metamorphosis. Tom, Ma repeated, what you gonna do? What Casy done, he said... Ma said, How I gonna know about you? Well, maybe like Casy says, a fella aint got a soul of his own, but ony a piece of a big one an then - Then what, Tom?
Then it don matter... Wherever they's a fight so hungry people can eat, Ill be there. Wherever they's a cop begin up a guy, Ill be there. If Casy know, why Ill be in the way guys yell when theyre mad an Ill be in the way kids laugh when theyre hungry an they know suppers ready. An when our folks eat the stuff they raise an live in the houses they build why, Ill be there. ' (Page 537) He decides to dedicate his life towards the fight of the hungry and oppressed and cares little for trivialities any longer. His journey is a spiritual one that could not have been assessed without Casy's help.
Ma Joads is a character that can be over looked due to her sex and seeming minimal interaction in the novel. Can be over looked, but shouldnt be. Ma represents the spiritual glue that binds the family through triumph and turmoil. In the beginning, Ma is seen as the typical housewife; she cooks, cleans and looks after the children.
She is a somewhat docile creature that follows her husbands word with little question. Her first stand against the men in the family is the first real threat of the family splitting apart. When a neighbors car breaks down, Tom offers to fix it and have the family move on. Ma grabs a jack handle and states she will not go; that she will hit her husband if he tries to make her.
Pa looked helplessly about the group. She sassy, he said. I never seen her so sassy... Tom said, Ma, whats eatin on you? What ya wanna do this-a-way for? Whats the matter you anyways?
You gone john rabbit on us? Mas face softened, but her eyes were still fierce. You done this that thinkin much, Ma said. What we got lef in the worl? Nothin but the folks. We come out an Grampa, he reached for the shovel-shelf right off.
An now, right off, you wanna bust up the folks - (page 218) She fights against the norm in order to preserve her family, who is all she has left. Here she gains respect. The eyes of the whole family shifted back to Ma. She was the power. She had taken control. (Page 218) Her strength throughout the ordeal is amazing. She hides her pain and anguish from the others and deals with their problems rather than hers.
She even lies with Granma's corpse in order to get the family across to California. I was afraid we wouldn get across, she said. I tol Granma we couldn hep her. The family had to get across. I tol her, tol her when she was a-did. We couldn stop in the desert.
There was the young ones an Rosasharns baby. I tol her... The family looked at Ma with a little terror at her strength. Tom said, Jesus Christ! You latin there with her all night long!
The family had get across, Ma said miserably. (Page 294) Her dedication to the family is remarkable. She becomes dedicated to their new lives, and develops a new insight on life. You got to have patience. Why, Tom us people will go on livin when all them people is gone.
Why, Tom, were the people that live. They aint gonna wipe us out. Why, were the people we go on. ' (Page 360) Her strength and power unfold throughout the story and her journey is one of survival. She evolves to become the strongest pillar in the Joads family. Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath is a novel that enables one relate to the struggles of humankind. Yet it is his evolution of the characters that takes on a great impact as one can witness the transitions in a humans whole being that occurs after heartache and misery unfold.
Through Casy's, Toms and Mas own spiritual journeys, one can see that there are brighter things that arise from tragedy. That although situations may be at their bleakest, one adapts, and may even turn out better than he or she started out. It is a shame that horrid situations are the ones that urge people to change their lives, but it is at least enlightening to see that the majority of these changes are for the better.
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