Analysis Of Jim Casy In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath

In John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, there are many characters who have major influential roles in the overall development of this dark and twisted story. Characters such as Tom Joad, Ma Joad, and Roasasharon Joad are big characters who in some way, shape, or form impact the plot of this novel. Perhaps one of Steinbeck’s most important characters is Jim Casy. This character influences the entire Joad family, but ends up leaving a huge impact on Tom as the end of the story draws near. Steinbeck cleverly describes Jim Casy’s appearance, uses him as a symbolic figure, and gives the Joad family an overwhelming peace. According to the narrator, Casy’s appearance is not too flattering. A few images that are put into the reader’s head

He chooses to introduce Casy to the story as Tom is on his way home from being put on parole after serving four years on a homicide charge. Tom stumbles upon Casy singing a church hymn and recognizes him as the old preacher. Casy decides to tell Tom how he, “ain’t no preacher no more,” because he, “lost the sperit.” Although Casy believes he has lost the spirit, Steinbeck still manages to make him a symbolic figure of Jesus Christ. He tells Tom about how when he lost the spirit he went out into the wilderness to try and concoct his own ideas about God, holiness, and sin. After being baptized, Jesus Christ fasted in the desert for forty days and nights. They obviously did not do it for the same reasons, but the concept is there. Casy also sacrifices himself in Tom’s place when Tom lashed out against a police officer, knocking him out cold. This could be compared to the story of how Jesus Christ sacrificed himself of the cross in order to save all sinners. Casy knew Tom as a little one, but did not truly know him as a person just like Jesus did not personally know everyone he was dying for on that cross. Another similarity between Jesus Christ and Jim Casy are their intials, J.C. Obviously Casy is not a carbon copy of Christ, as he explains to Tom about his sleeping with almost the entire congregation, but there are a few similarities. To state the obvious, they also have the same initials, J.C. Steinbeck, more

Ma believed that as long as a preacher was with them, nothing could go wrong. As the story progressed, her optimistic state of mind about the preacher being with them was ruined. Casy tells Ma that he is not a preacher anymore but Ma believes, “once a preacher, always a preacher.” Anytime grace was needed, she insisted Casy say it. The Joad family loses a few family members on the way to California, so Casy is forced to say a few words as they bury them. Casy even happens to make an impact on Tom throughout the story. Tom manages to memorize a few bible verses that Casy referred to and also begins to see the truth in those verses. Casy is killed by police, leading Tom to decidethat it is safer for him to leave the family and go out on his own so that he does not cause them anymore trouble. So Tom gives Ma peace as he tells her about his plans to follow in Casy’s footsteps and help people start labor strikes for higher wages, just as he