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In the Grapes of Wrath, Tom Joad learns a valuable lesson from the long trip with his family. Living in poverty taught Tom how poorly people in the United States were living and how it should not continue. His friend Casy started to lead a revolution and unfortunately died in front of Tom. This inspired him to do something similar, considering he could not stay with his family. Inspired by the words and actions of his friend Casy, Tom decides to start a revolution and fight for better living conditions, even if it leads to his death. In chapter 28, an amazing change happens to Tom Joad. Instead of running away to Los Angeles, like his mother suggested, Tom decides to be the start of a revolution. A piece of scripture, told to him by his friend Casy, has inspired him to speak for the people who are suffering like his family. He explains that the piece of scripture has helped him realize that those who are suffering are all united in one big soul. Tom believes that it's his job to protect their soul and bring justice to it by helping others realize the same thing he has. …show more content…
Both Tom and Casy mention one big soul that everyone is a part of and believe that they need to bring justice to it. Unlike other characters in the book, Casy and Tom believe that a human-to-human connection is more important than a person's connection to their land. This shapes Tom's character and helps him realize the importance of keeping the family together and ultimately helps him make the decision to leave. In order to give his family a chance at getting out of poverty and keep them together, he runs off to keep them out of
When times get tough, many people turn away from everyone and everything. It must be part of human nature to adopt an independent attitude when faced with troubles. It is understandable because most people do not want to trouble their loved ones when they are going through problems, so it is easier to turn away than stick together. Maybe their family is going through a rough patch and they reason they would be better off on their own. This path of independence and solitude may not always be the best option for them or their family, though. Often times it is more beneficial for everyone to work through the problem together. It is not always the easiest or most desirable option, but most times it is the most efficient and it will get results in the long run. In The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck makes this point very clear through several characters. Many characters throughout
The novel Grapes of Wrath was one of the first monumental American stories because of the setting, which is the great depression. It followed the working class of America, which at the time it came out was when the working class was becoming more common then the upper class. The whole point of the novel was to show the people who were the workers of America’s economy struggle deeply. The readers of the text appreciated the realistic factors of the novel, and Tom Joade was a great example for those who wanted to help others. He was someone who only cared about others safety, and even though he had done some bad things in the past, he was still a caring man. The moral behind Tom’s character is that even if someone has a troubled past, it does not matter about their past, but instead it matters about their actions in the present.
Tom is the protagonist in the story. Tom always looks for the bright side of things and always believes in Christian ways. Tom was a very religious black slave who was sold to different people multiple times. Tom dies by being beaten. Throughout his w...
Directed by John Ford and based off of John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath (1940) stars Henry Fonda as Tom Joad who migrates to California with his family during the Great Depression.
There are numerous symbols in The Grapes of Wrath that through analysis provide additional levels of insight and understanding into the novel. These symbols enhance the reader’s overall experience and provide a deeper meaning to the novel. They encourage readers to look beyond the surface to identify parallels in the text that foreshadow future events or represent certain ideas that the author is trying to stress. One of the major symbols of the entire book, is Tom himself. He represents the mental attitude experienced by the migrant families throughout the book. Tom accurately represents the hope burning inside of every migrant. As we learn about Tom throughout the novel, we come to know of the murder that he committed. Although it may not have been completely intentional, he is still forced to abandon his family. When he reunites with his family, he is immediately accepted back into their family, and he joins them as they begin to embark on their journey to California. He is with them every step of the way to California on Route 66 and constantly encourages them to persevere even through the difficult times. While in California, history is repeated, and Tom kills yet another man out of anger. He is forced to hide away and is of no use to the family anymore as he can no longer work. Later, he is forced to abandon his family yet again. This all directly correlates to the hope found in every migrant. It all began in Oklahoma, where hope hurt farmers during the Dust Bowl. After the hope had hurt them, it abandoned them. A quote in Chapter 1 of The Grapes of Wrath represents this, “The children stood near by, drawing figures in the dust with bare toes, and the children sent exploring sense out to see whether men and women would break...
...was the hardness of his terms. He accumulated bonds and mortgages; gradually squeezed his customers closer and closer; and sent them at length, dry as a sponge from his door"( ).The local problem is a stepping stone to present the universal; one, which is the subject of greed, science everyone is tempted by greed. Moreover, the narrator remains in omniscient point of view to make readers know what others think about Tom: "Her voice was often heard in wordy warfare with her husband; and his face sometimes showed signs that their conflicts were not confined to words. No one ventured, however, to interfere between them; the lonely wayfarer shrunk within himself at the horrid clamor and clapper clawing; eyed the den of discord askance, and hurried on his way, rejoicing, if a bachelor, in his celibacy. After reading this passage, readers gain a bad impression of Tom.
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.
Tom is perhaps the most vain and inhuman of the characters, always lusting after more of the forbidden fruit, never having his full share. Even when the knowledge of it reaches his wife, Tom still returns to his cuckolding ways. Early in the book when Daisy explains how unhappy her life truly is, she describes the feeling she had after the birth of her first daughter saying, “Well, she was less than an hour old and Tom was God knows where. I woke up out of the ether with an utterly abandoned feeling...” (31). In that moment readers are finally privy to the ugly, greedy, truth that is Tom, out philandering for pleasures purely his own, while his wife gives birth to their child.
Tom is, as I’m sure every reader should be, heartbroken at Casy’s death. Casy was his only real friend since he left prison, the first person he truly connected with. Tom was so connected to Casy that after the policeman bashed in his head with a pick handle, he went and did the same to his murderer out of hatred, without truly thinking about it. This also reflects just how far Tom is willing to go for his friends and family. Tom begins his journey with Casy as somewhat of a disciple, and in Chapter 28, he tells Ma some of Casy’s final thoughts, about how one man’s soul is just one part of a greater soul, encompassing the whole world. Tom plans on spreading Casy’s preachings to every person he meets in order to keep Casy’s spirit alive and organize the people, because it would have been what he wanted if he had the time to proclaim a dying wish.
The plot of Grapes of Wrath follows a simple flowing pattern where every event leads clearly into the next. There are no points in the novel where the reader is taken off track from the main plot of the story. The ending to the novel is neither happy nor unhappy. The Joad family has been largely split apart, however, Tom has decided to take a moral position that could possibly better the lives of many migrant workers. Ma Joad and the rest of the family are forced to leave their newest home because of a horrible rainstorm. But Ma Joad's strength and w...
Tom was threated to be killed if he did not tell them the women’s plan. Tom says he rather die than speak so the rest of the night Legree beats Tom. This proves that Tom is a selfless person and looks for the good for all. At the end of this chapter Tom turns to God and prays to ask that their heats can be forgiven. “Mas’r, if you was sick, or in trouble, or dying, and I could save ye, I’d give ye my heart’s blood; and, if taking every drop of blood in this poor old body would save your precious soul, I’d give ’em freely, as the Lord gave his for me. Oh, Mas’r! don’t bring this great sin on your soul! It will hurt you more than’t will me! Do the worst you can, my troubles’ll be over soon; but, if ye don’t repent, yours won’t never end!” (40). Tom says his own troubles will be gone soon but the damage that Legree did to his soul will be eternal. Saying his soul will be enteral shows how bad the slaves were treated and that no one should ever be treated that way. However, Tom continues to follow the saying from the bible of love thy enemy. Toms proves to be a slave with good intentions especially since not all salves have the right and good
Tom is a character many people in this generation can relate to. Although the play was written many years ago Tom is just like any other millennial from this day and age. He basically hates his job because it’s not fun. He can’t cope with the fact that he has to pick up all the slack his father left behind. He even seems to think that running away will fix everything. All of these things are very common in society today.
The slaves finally had a reason to keep on moving despite the suffering they had to go throw to help them go on (Yagmin 1). When ever Tom sees a slave suffering he would start to tell then about God (Yagmin 1). In the book Tom tries to get every body around influenced on prayer (Yagmin 1). When knowing that St. Clare was not a christen Tom would pray that St. Clare would convert to Christianity (Yagmin...
In the book, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, many characters develop and change in various ways. Steinbeck portrays Tom Joad as a killer in the beginning of the book. After many deaths and challenges Tom changes from being a selfish man who only thinks about himself and his own family, to someone that stands up for others, and helps other families that are in need of help.
Tom is influenced by many people. As his settings change, new people influence him to change his personality. The three main influences of Tom are his mother Bessie, Red Dillon and Mary Redmond. His biggest influence out of everyone would be his mother Bessie. She teaches Tom about the old ways, how to fish, chant and weave baskets. Basically she taught him everything he knows. As well as teaching Tom all these things she taught him to be self sufficient. Eventhough she had 13 years with her son, she gave him a belief system that would come back again later on in his life. At the end of this novel when he goes back to the old ways, it's really a way for him to thank her for everything she provided him with. He really found himself at the end of the novel and found his purpose. Red Dillon was the total opposite of Bessie. He made him tougher for life. He pushed Tom farther away from his history. he also got him to cheat and drink. Tom knew these things were wrong but it stayed in his routine. Red tested Tom to his fullest and pushed Tom to work harder. Unfortunatley Red did not work quite as hard as Tom. When he was living with the white man he was getting used to the white peoples ways. Mary Redmond who was another of Tom's influences played a big role in encouraging Toms decisions. She was his guardian angel looking over him wile he was staying in the hospital. She was the only person that was in the hospital who truly cared for him. He knew she meant well but he was scared to ask her for help because he had been let down so many times in the times before. She changed his thinking on what he was going to do when he go out of the hospital. At first he wanted to go back to riding but decided to take some time off. In conclusion in the book When the Legends Die by Hal Borland, the main character Tom was influenced by a lot of people. The three main people were Bessie, Red Dillon and Mary Redmond. He was influenced by them to make certain decisions and actions during his