Character Transformation Throughout The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck uses the transformation of characters to further an important theme of the novel. One theme that ran through the novel was unity. In the course of the story, “I” turns into “we.” This theme was brought out by many characters, including Tom Joad. Steinbeck uses Tom’s growth to bring out the important theme of unity. Tom Joad was one of the many characters that changed in the novel. In the beginning, Tom was traveling back home from prison alone. At this point, he only had to care for himself. He did not get involved with anyone else. One example was in the beginning, when Tom was having a conversation with the truck driver. The driver was explaining all the hardships
