In John Steinbeck’s masterpiece The Grapes of Wrath, the former minister, Jim Casy, symbolizes Jesus Christ due to his virtuous nature. Similarly to Christ’s death on the Cross, Casy was martyred, exemplifying his selflessness. Casy was unjustly jailed for trying to help the marginalized, in this case the underpaid farmers, just as Jesus was arbitrarily jailed when he did not commit any criminal offenses. They both endure a lot of suffering before their death. Jesus went through crucifixion, one of the most gruesome types of executions at the time, and Casy was beaten to death by the police. Equally important, both men were very accepting of others. Jesus taught throughout his ministry that he came for everybody, not just the Jews. A great
