Jim Casy Character Analysis

In the gripping novel by John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, there are many characters who have major influential roles in the overall development of this dark and twisted story. Characters such as Tom Joad, Ma Joad, and Roasasharon Joad are big characters who in some way, shape, or form impact the plot of this novel. Although all of the characters are important, perhaps one of Steinbeck’s most important characters is Jim Casy. This character influences the entire Joad family, but ends up leaving a huge impact on the main character, Tom Joad.. Steinbeck cleverly describes Jim Casy’s appearance, uses him as a symbolic figure, and gives his character the role of instilling a sense of hope in the Joad family that would have been nonexistent without
He chooses to introduce Casy to the story as Tom is on his way home from being put on parole after serving four years in prison due to a homicide charge. Tom stumbles upon Casy singing a church hymn and recognizes him as his childhood preacher. Casy fills Tom in on how he, “ain’t no preacher no more,” because he, “lost the sperit.” Although Casy believes he has lost the spirit, Steinbeck still manages to make him a symbolic figure of Jesus Christ in the novel. He tells Tom about how when he lost the spirit he went out into the wilderness to try and concoct his own ideas about God, holiness, and sin. After being baptized, Jesus Christ fasted in the desert for forty days and nights where he was tempted by the devil. They obviously did not do it for the same reasons, but the concept is there. Casy also sacrifices himself in Tom’s place when Tom lashed out against a police officer, knocking him out cold. This shares similarities with the story of how Jesus Christ sacrificed himself on the cross in order to save all sinners. Casy knew Tom as a little one, but did not truly know him as a person, just like Jesus did not personally know everyone he was dying for on the cross. Another similarity between Jesus Christ and Jim Casy are their intials, J.C. Obviously Casy is not a carbon copy of Christ, as he explains to Tom about his sleeping with almost the entire congregation, but there are a few