Grapes of Wrath 4

The Grapes of Wrath is probably one of very few books where the main character leaves and the story continues. The hero is Tom Joad. He is nice, friendly, proud, tough, and hardworking. If somebody messes with Tom he will not hesitate to put them in their place. As his brother Al said “Tom don’t take nothin’ from nobody… Tom, he’s quiet. But—look out!” (Steinbeck, 255) Ma seems to have a stronger relationship with Tom than any of his siblings. She still loves the rest of her children, but she seems to like Tom the most. Tom also changes a lot near the end of the story. He is not much of a deep thinker through the story, but he changes after Casy dies and he has to start living in the shadows. He has been thinking about the things that Casy said and becomes more philosophical. He used to just make it through day by day, but now that he is alone he thinks things through.
I would say Tom Joad is portrayed as someone who represents strong morals. If he believes something is the right thing to do, he will do it. It does not even matter if he has to break the law to do it. He actually kills two men because he believed it was the right thing to do. Tom also believes that the system has become corrupt. The poor people have come to California looking for steady work and a steady wage, but they are not getting it at all. The wages are being lowered constantly and prices are going up. Tom says that Casy told him that he went looking for his soul and found that he’s just got a little piece of a great big soul. (Steinbeck, 418) Tom has realized that he has the same type of soul. He knows that things can’t change until the people work together. It is like the government camp they were in. The people worked together and helped each other. The way to fix the whole thing for everybody is to live like they did in the government camp but on a larger scale.

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