Tom Joad In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath

As J.K. Rowling once said, “We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.” In Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, the Joads utilize their collective skills as a family to neutralize the crippling discrimination and societal issues they face. Each member specifically donates effort to the journey to California and learns from what their predecessor teaches them, exemplifying how the unity of the family positively affects future generations. The roles that they play in their family determine the ways they resolve the problems they face. Being a unit during the journey aids every member in the family to grow into their rightful positions as either a teacher or a student, whether the conclusion of their story proves success or failure. Tom Joad, the oldest son in the Joad family, endures one of the largest transitions of self-enlightenment, changing from a from the beginning to the end of The Grapes of Wrath. His journey follows a man on the run from the law after killing someone in a bar fight, for he returns to his family with hope for a fresh start. Steinbeck writes, “‘I’m just tryin’ to get along without shovin’ nobody around.’ He stopped and looked out at the dry fields, at the starved tree clumps hanging uneasily in the heated distance” (Steinbeck 9). In this fragment from chapter one, Tom hints at his intentions for going home; he hopes to cause as little trouble as possible on his way to readjusting to regular life due to being on parole after his crime. By re-joining the family, he can regain that sense of importance that can feed his damaged ego left over from the desensitizing experiences he goes through in jail. This leads his character to develop alongside his fellow siblings as they all begin to come into their own thanks to their predecessors, Ma and Pa. Transforming into a person who understands the world better, despite ultimately having to flee from his loved ones, Tom Joad develops into a more intelligent form of himself. While creating this improved version of himself, Tom Joad takes interest in his religious consultant, Jim Casy, and the ex-preacher’s idea of one big soul connecting everyone together. This refers to Emerson’s Theory of the Over-Soul by showcasing how the collectivity of the family prevails through the many defeats they face on the journey, presenting the duality between being connected with oneself and being connected with other people. Tom applies this concept by finding what he wants within the company of his family, for they put him to work and give him inspiration to find self-purpose; he has the opportunity to discover more of this through Casy. This character, serving as a Christ-like figure throughout the novel, leads this discovery. Shockley writes, “One of the major emotional climaxes is the scene in which Tom tells Ma goodbye and explains why he must leave. He has told Ma about Casy who ‘Spouted out some Scripture once, an’ it didn’ soun’ like no hellfire Scripture” (Shockley 4).When preparing to leave his family after a violent confrontation, Tom expresses more knowledge about Casy’s teachings as a guide. He displays a better understanding of the unity within one’s mind and the unified feeling between all other souls around him, and he is …show more content…
It is exceedingly difficult for a majority of people to get jobs in California, what was once the promised land for everyone turned out to be a goal harder to achieve than previously believed. Steinbeck writes, “They hate you ‘cause they’re scairt. They know a hungry fella gonna get food even if he got to take it. They know that fallow lan’s a sin an’ somebody’ gonna take it...You never been called ‘Okie’ yet” (Steinbeck 139). The dialogue in this text exemplifies the bias more successful workers have for migrants looking to improve their lives in California, especially those who come from Oklahoma. This unfavorable attitude against the workers bring even more difficulties for the Joad family as they adjust to their societal stance against more successful people. However, even in the face of adversity such as this, the Joad family utilizes their specific skills to push through these troubles and survive the prejudice and