Character Analysis Of Tom Joad In The Grapes Of Wrath

In the Grapes Of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, Tom Joad is faced with endless hardships that plague him his family and all the people from the Great Plains. Tom is faced with endless adversity whether it’s that he can’t find his family or the lack of work in California he refuses to give in. Tom is strong through out because he realizes that things are bad, but you have to keep fighting and giving up is not a option. The main way to fight back against the adversity is presence of family and friends. Tom says that “But I now know a fella aint no good alone”(418). By the end of the novel Tom realizes that you couldn’t go through this experience alone. You needed each other weather it be Ma, or Rose of Sharon they had get through this storm to together and refuse to give in to the lack of work. Tom connects with everybody when he tells his mom “Even getting hungry even bein sick; some die, but the

rest is tougher. Jus’ try to live the day, jus’ the day (423). This sums up Tom’s perspective on life and how you just have to keep living and stay connected with each other. Sadly Tom has to go now to protect his family because and he is able to get sense of connection to others by going to strike against low wages and help everyone for the greater good of man.
A character that is opposites of Tom is Connie who decides to be selfish and leaves his wife and the family for himself.

He refuses to stay together because he cannot take the hardships that the group has been facing. When he gives in he seals his fate to be alone and work alone in these hard times. When the family first starts to face hard time Connie says “If I’d of knowed it would be like this I wouldn’ of came. I’d a studied nights ’bout tractors back home an’ got me a three-dollar job. Fella can live awful nice on three dollars a day, an’ go to the pitcher show ever’ night, too.’”(252) Connie had give up on the family and was only thinking of him self now. This parallels Joad unbreakable loyalty and strength of adversity with Connie cowardly selfishness because he couldn’t take the hard times anymore. That is the reason Joad is such good person is defends the ones he loves and put unbreakable inspiration to the people around him. By keeping his family close to him he was able to achieve these success over adversity and survive the horrible position they were stuck

in.