Grapes of Wrath 18 Noah

Noah is probably the least significant of the Joads. He does not do much in the story other than leave to live his own life. He was the first born, and his life did not come to a good start. It says that Pa was ashamed of what he did. He used his own hands as forceps to bring Noah into the world, and he pulled the baby out of shape. Ma pushed the baby back into shape, but Pa has always felt bad. Noah is basically emotionless. He has no anger, no cares, and he is very quiet. Noah has never been angry. “He looked in wonder at angry people, wonder and uneasiness, as normal people look at the insane” (Steinbeck, 78.) He can still do the same things that any other normal person can do, but he is different. Noah was not stupid, but he was strange. When they get to California Noah leaves the family. It is a very weird event. Nothing that anybody could say would have stopped him. He does not say goodbye to anybody but Tom, who has to tell the rest of the family where he went. Noah tells Tom “You know how it is, Tom. You know how the folks are nice to me. But they don’t really care for me” (Steinbeck, 208.) He says that he can’t leave the water, and he will not starve because he can catch fish. Noah says “Fella can’t starve beside a nice river” (Steinbeck, 208.) This is the last time that Noah is seen in the story. It does not say if anything happens to him, or if he even survives by the river. I think that Noah lives the life that he wants. He lives a nice, peaceful life near the water, and keeps to himself the whole time. No one comes to bother him; he catches all the fish he can eat; and gets exactly what he wants out of life.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.