Christianity In John Steinbeck's Grapes Of Wrath

In the book Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck uses people and situations to represent and also criticize Christianity. From the people in this book to the immorality regarding certain situations. Throughout the book there are many examples of “sins” and immorality, but there are also examples of the need for no religion, the strengths of these people and their situations. Christianity is taken as many different things by people throughout this book.

Throughout Grapes of Wrath people do and say things that are not along the “guidelines” of Christianity. People murdering people, stealing, lying and betraying each other; however, in their eyes some of these things may be okay do to the situations they are in. People also look back and reflect on the things they have done, whether to feel bad or just to talk about it, sometimes people

don’t see the bad in what they’re doing because their judgment is clouded by their need for food and other necessities. Christianity often teaches you to have morals, a lot of the time people’s morals go out the window when it comes to fending for their families. When Tom Joad kills the big man under the bridge because he killed Casy, that was an immoral thing to do but he did it because he was doing what he thought was right for him and Casy.

Christianity does more helping migrating families more than it is hindering.

Landowners and banks, however, aren’t so much in the same position as the poor families throughout the story. Although religion is helpful, the families don’t need it as much, because they still find ways to continue on in life with or without religion. The rich landowners and banks aren’t affected as much by the things that happen to these poor families but, they are still affected by it in ways. The banks and landowners are tied to the religious theme of the novel. This can be seen in hiring or not hiring of the poor folks. When farmers and owners of the lands that are worked choose to hire workers, they advertise a larger paying price than there really is, so when a worker arrives for work they are paid a lot less than what they were originally promised. This applies to religion because not only can it be argued that the landowners and farmers are sinning, but it can be argued that the farmers and landowners still have faith that the worker hired is still going to take the job simply because he is so in need of food and other things he desperately

needs.

Throughout a majority of the beginning of this book and parts of the middle a Christian symbol shines through more than others. Jim Casy is a huge Christ figure in many ways, if not his initials being J.C., and then the way he speaks of himself being like Jesus and the ways he acts. Casy is known for his fight against the black-and-white or good-and-bad nature of religion. He likes to dabble in the grey areas of life. Casy seems to be a very wise man but throughout the book we see him do and say things that aren’t as holy as he claims to be. He also talks about not feeling the Holy Spirit within him anymore like when he says “Just Jim Casy now. Ain’t got the call no more. Got a lot of sinful idears-but they seem kinda sensible.” He seems to almost give up on himself and religion all together. Other times he talks about feeling the spirit within himself, like when he says “Here I got the Sperit sometimes an’ nothin’ to preach about. I got the call to lead people, an’ no place to lead em’.” Many things about daily life appear “holy” to Casy, not people’s goals, aspirations or even their dreams, he cared about all the nitty gritty details of life.
Steinbeck does a great job of capturing both sides of this argument, he shows how things are Christian like and how things are not in the lives of migrant workers and those around them. He also tells the amazing things one “Christ figure” can do for people in bad times. People often use religion as a way to pave their lives; Steinbeck shows that even when people are at their lowest that God doesn’t give up on them. Through the good times and bad times there is always someone or something to help you out and get you out of that situation. This book is more supportive of Christianity than it is against it and I think that was the message that was meant to be portrayed.