Kaushal Patel
Mr.Delisle
American Literature Honors
18 May 15
What does it mean to be an American? Americans throughout the history have been known to be brave and show courage in difficult circumstances. During the 20th century, many novels had an impact on how people interpreted the literature. Exceptional authors such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck, and J. D. Salinger interpreted and conveyed the message of imperfection in their novels. Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath takes the readers throughout the journey of Tom Joad to California showing his imperfections as he murdered two people by the end of the novel, whereas Of Mice and Men states the imperfections of everyone at the ranch, including George and Lennie. The Catcher in the …show more content…
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck follows the journey of Joad family after they are forced to leave their home and move to California during the Great Depression and how Tom Joad is imperfect due to his killings. Once the family gets to California, the members of the Joad family tried to find work due to the imperfect times of inflation and unemployment. The unemployment and inflation shows the imperfection of the government during the Great Depression as it failed to relieve people of their financial hardships. Despite only the imperfection of government, Tom Joad was an imperfect man himself. At the beginning of the novel, Tom hitch hikes his way home after getting a lift in a truck after serving four years in the prison for killing a man after he got in a brawl while drunk. Later while having a conversation with Casy, Tom Joad says, “I’d do what I done-again. 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 layin’ there. Knocked his head plum to squash.” (Joad 25). In this quote, Tom Joad explains that he isn’t ashamed for whatever he did …show more content…
Tom Joad when he says this shows that he has no guilt and has no soul. Just not once, but Tom killed another man at the end of the novel. In Chapter 26, when Casy and Tom were approached by the police officers a disappointing event took place, “The heavy man swung with the pick handle. The heavy club crashed into the side of his head with a dull crush of bone, and Casy fell sideways out of the light […] the first time he knew he had missed and struck a shoulder, but the second time his crushing blow found the head.” (Steinbeck 386). This quote proves that he tried to take revenge for the death of Casy. Tom when he killed the man didn’t seem to have hesitated for a single moment when he killed that man. Tom is not a perfect man himself as proven by the fact that he killed two men. Tom's imperfect morals allowed him to justify his killings. Just not Grapes of Wrath, but The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck also perceives the imperfect nature of Curly’s wife and the imperfections between the George and Lennie’s friendship. As Curley’s wife spends most of her time alone by herself and as a result of her
Mr.Delisle
American Literature Honors
18 May 15
What does it mean to be an American? Americans throughout the history have been known to be brave and show courage in difficult circumstances. During the 20th century, many novels had an impact on how people interpreted the literature. Exceptional authors such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck, and J. D. Salinger interpreted and conveyed the message of imperfection in their novels. Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath takes the readers throughout the journey of Tom Joad to California showing his imperfections as he murdered two people by the end of the novel, whereas Of Mice and Men states the imperfections of everyone at the ranch, including George and Lennie. The Catcher in the …show more content…
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck follows the journey of Joad family after they are forced to leave their home and move to California during the Great Depression and how Tom Joad is imperfect due to his killings. Once the family gets to California, the members of the Joad family tried to find work due to the imperfect times of inflation and unemployment. The unemployment and inflation shows the imperfection of the government during the Great Depression as it failed to relieve people of their financial hardships. Despite only the imperfection of government, Tom Joad was an imperfect man himself. At the beginning of the novel, Tom hitch hikes his way home after getting a lift in a truck after serving four years in the prison for killing a man after he got in a brawl while drunk. Later while having a conversation with Casy, Tom Joad says, “I’d do what I done-again. 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 layin’ there. Knocked his head plum to squash.” (Joad 25). In this quote, Tom Joad explains that he isn’t ashamed for whatever he did …show more content…
Tom Joad when he says this shows that he has no guilt and has no soul. Just not once, but Tom killed another man at the end of the novel. In Chapter 26, when Casy and Tom were approached by the police officers a disappointing event took place, “The heavy man swung with the pick handle. The heavy club crashed into the side of his head with a dull crush of bone, and Casy fell sideways out of the light […] the first time he knew he had missed and struck a shoulder, but the second time his crushing blow found the head.” (Steinbeck 386). This quote proves that he tried to take revenge for the death of Casy. Tom when he killed the man didn’t seem to have hesitated for a single moment when he killed that man. Tom is not a perfect man himself as proven by the fact that he killed two men. Tom's imperfect morals allowed him to justify his killings. Just not Grapes of Wrath, but The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck also perceives the imperfect nature of Curly’s wife and the imperfections between the George and Lennie’s friendship. As Curley’s wife spends most of her time alone by herself and as a result of her