Motivation In The Grapes Of Wrath

In the Grapes of Wrath, the motivations of Preacher Casey, Tom Joad, Pa, and Ma change throughout the movie and represent the sentiments of Americans during the 1930s. During this time period the economy was on the verge of collapse for a series of years and after the stock market crash in 1929, the nation officially entered an economic depression leaving many workers jobless and hundreds of families penniless. Previously, many inexperienced farmers had travelled west looking to make a profit off of their own labor. The great migration movement was partially caused by the idealization of the west fueled by Jackson Turner’s Frontier Thesis and the devastating conditions and economic status of many eastern workers. However, most of the families that migrated west were inexperienced so farm land was not treated correctly. Then, in the 1930s, as a result of the poor treatment and a record breaking drought, the midwest …show more content…
When Casey is reunited with Tom Joad he reveals that he is no longer a preacher. He claims that his previous goal was saving people’s souls but that he “lost the spirit” and has “nothing to preach no more”. He explained to Tom, “Tom, you gotta learn like I'm learnin'. I don't know it right yet myself. That's why I can't ever be a preacher again. Preachers gotta know. I don't know. I gotta ask”. Because Casey lost God’s calling, he is a spiritually lost hermit, searching for a call or inspiration. He joins the Joad family on their trip in hopes of finding his calling while staying alive. On the road when the Joad family stops at a “Hooverville”, a shanty town filled with families who were unemployed, and Tom Joad finds himself picking a fight yet Casey takes the blame knowing that once he is arrested he will be fed, dressed, and bathed. Casey is searching for his purpose but his primary concern is survival, so he takes the opportunity while he