At different times in The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, nearly all of the main characters endure spiritually trying times. Although they seem to be faithful, their faith seems to be more of a formality, and actually doesn’t mean much in their eyes. In fact, some of the characters even begin to question their faith, and the faith these characters hold is often detached from established religion. Former preacher Jim Casy is the first to address this theme when he speaks of his reformed faith. Instead of the black-and-white teachings of Christianity, Casy has come to believe in a natural unity of the human race. Casy abandoned his preaching because of skepticism about Christianity. The aspects of Christianity still present in the Joads’ lives tend to resemble rituals, like saying Grace to please Granma, more than being sincere beliefs. In addition, sometimes the characters' faith forms a sense of guilt that cripples them. Rosasharn worries constantly that her baby will be harmed because of her own unholy behavior and the behavior of those around her, although she doesn't seem to be particularly …show more content…
religious. All these characters, in their own way, show a sense of false faith. When forced to give up so much, the Joads question their faith in a higher power. Reverend Jim Casy, an honorary member of the Joad family, is a quiet man, but he is constantly thinking about God and about the ways in which humans' souls are connected. He's given up the priesthood, having been a rule-breaking preacher, but he still deeply considers the existence of God and the importance of religion in uniting and inspiring people. He seems to unite the Joad family, and although he is no longer a preacher, he still, on occasion, slips back into his old self. When Tom and Casy reunite at the beginning of the book, Casy tells Jim that he is no longer a preacher. "Just Jim Casy now. Ain't got the call no more. Got a lot of sinful idears – but they seem kinda sensible" (page 20). Casy seems to fight against the black-and-white, good-or-bad nature of religion. He likes to dwell in the grey areas in between. Casy seems like a very wise character, a man full of interesting things to say. He thinks less about the details of life, and more about the larger philosophical questions that plague humans. Even though he was once a preacher, he seems to be questioning his religion. During their time in the government camp, a very pregnant Rosasharn is approached by a religious zealot named Mrs.
Sandry, who warns Rosasharn about the dangers of unholy behavior, especially the intimate dancing that takes place at the camp’s Saturday dances. Mrs. Sandry implies that if Rosasharn participates in these activities, she risks suffering a miscarriage. She also warns about the activities and actions of the people around her, and how that too may influence or affect her child. She states that the babes of sinners are born “dead and bloody” (page 310). Rosasharn dwells on these thoughts, and worries that her baby will be affected by unholy the actions of her and the people around her. Although Rosasharn does not show any indications towards having strong faith, she still stressed about unholy behavior and the possible repercussions on her unborn
child. Granma Joad focuses on the ritual of religion, insisting on grace at the dinner table and saying ‘Amen’ after anything Casy says, even though he is no longer a preacher, and regardless of its lack of resemblance to any normal grace. To her it is a ritual, one that is important to her. “So many years she had times her responses to the pauses. And it was so many years since she had listened to or wondered at the words used” (page 110). She says the words more as an important formality, and they seem to have no real faith behind them. This enforces the idea that the Joads’ faith hold no real substance. It’s just a ritual that they believe should, and needs to, be performed. The novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck has many themes, but one theme the story is centralized around is the role of Christianity. The role of Christianity in The Grapes of Wrath is what allows the people to keep going during the times of the Great Depression. Without religion, the Joads, in addition to other families in the novel, would have simply given up all faith and hope, and maybe even abandoned their journies. Many characters in the novel symbolize this theme of Christianity. Most notably being Jim Casy, whose initials are J.C. This could be interpreted as alluding Jesus Christ. However, although the characters may symbolize christianity and faith, their faith is often empty and holds no real value or meaning. In many cases, it’s simply just a formality or ritual, such as saying grace at dinner. However, although it may be false faith, it still holds meaning to them and allows them to cope and get through the difficulties that face them. John Steinbeck may be trying to prove a point here, and show that faith does not necessarily about the actual religion, but just one's own personal beliefs and ideals.
When times get tough, many people turn away from everyone and everything. It must be part of human nature to adopt an independent attitude when faced with troubles. It is understandable because most people do not want to trouble their loved ones when they are going through problems, so it is easier to turn away than stick together. Maybe their family is going through a rough patch and they reason they would be better off on their own. This path of independence and solitude may not always be the best option for them or their family, though. Often times it is more beneficial for everyone to work through the problem together. It is not always the easiest or most desirable option, but most times it is the most efficient and it will get results in the long run. In The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck makes this point very clear through several characters. Many characters throughout
Most of Steinbeck’s work conveys a deeper meaning or message to the readers, and The Grapes of Wrath presents no exception, as redemption’s prevalence influences the growth of each character. Although the book ends with a tragic flood after the family has faced the loss of Rose of Sharon’s newborn baby, the novel still ends in happiness, since characters such as Jim Casy, Uncle John, Tom Joad, and Rose of Sharon attain redemption and in doing so, become saviors for migrant families. Steinbeck manifests the idea the migration did not necessarily implicate the Joads would find prosperity in the promised land of California, but would instead fulfill the quest for absolution, which results in their heroic
In the novel, The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck brings to the reader a variety of diverse and greatly significant characters. However, the majority of each characters' individuality happens to lie within what they symbolize in the microcosm of the Joad family and their acquaintances, which itself stands for the entire migrant population of the Great Depression era. One such character is that of Jim Casey, a former preacher and long-time friend of the Joads. In this story, Casey represents a latter-day Christ figure who longs to bring religious stability to the burgeon of migrant families facing West.
Holiness, sin, and life are repeatedly questioned throughout John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, particularly by the former preacher, Jim Casey. As a preacher, Casey only preaches what the bible states and he resigns from his occupation after he feels the urge to pursue life's true meaning and values of the individual - basically to make sense of the world he resides in. Casey closely resembles the character and motives of Jesus Christ, as he is enthused to uncover the answers to his wonders and doubts and begins to hold new beliefs of sacrificing the self to sustain the rights of society.
Many novels written contain parallels to the Bible. This couldn’t be truer in the case John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck alludes to Biblical characters and events with the use of Rose of Sharon, Jim Casy, and also the Joad’s journey to California. There are other events in the book that parallel the Bible, although the portrayal of Rose of Sharon and Jim Casy are the most obvious.
Throughout the book Steinbeck uses personification through Charley to create the idea that Charley is more than just a dog but he is a friend to Steinbeck, someone to rely on throughout his journey. Charley is alluded to a French gentleman poodle. He is portrayed as extremely wise and his uses for making connections with the people they encounter on their journey across the US. My understanding from reading the book and seeing how the book is portrayed gives me the idea that Charley has dignity and pride. The book states “Charley was torn three ways—with anger at me for leaving him, with gladness at the sight of Rocinante, and with pure pride in his appearance. For when Charley is groomed and clipped and washed he is as pleased with himself
Steinbeck's relationship to the transcendentalists [Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman] was pointed out soon after The Grapes of Wrath appeared by Frederick I. Carpenter, and as the thirties fade into history, Jim Casy with his idea of the holiness of all men and the unreality of sin seems less a product of his own narrowly doctrinaire age than a latter-day wanderer from the green village of Concord to the dry plains of the West.
The differences between selfishness and selflessness are strong throughout The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Everywhere the Joad family goes there is always someone to either push them into the dirt or give them a hand out of the dirt. This happened far and wide, people can be greedy, selfish, and rapacious. It’s in our nature, but even in desperate times when people have a right to be selfish, some will find the will in their heart to aid those who can’t help themselves.
Like many events in the novel, many characters in Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath symbolize the theme of Christianity. The most obvious character would be that of Jim Casy. Jim Casy was previously a preacher, but he gave up preaching because he felt he had sinned. He travels with the Joad family on their journey to California, and although he insists that he has given up his counseling past, he continues to act as a preacher for the Joad family.
The tale of The Grapes of Wrath has many levels of profound themes and meanings to allow us as the reader to discover the true nature of human existence. The author's main theme and doctrine of this story is that of survival through unity. While seeming hopeful at times, this book is more severe, blunt, and cold in its portrayl of the human spirit. Steinbeck's unique style of writing forms timeless and classic themes that can be experienced on different fronts by unique peoples and cultures of all generations.
In 1939, The Grapes of Wrath was published and came under fire for its content. Vulgarity and the misrepresentation of a preacher were the main complaints that led to the ban and burning of the novel from St. Louis, Missouri libraries in September 1939. Vulgarity may be prevalent in the book, but it has its purpose. Steinbeck used some vulgar terms to accurately represent the lingo and slang that was used by the people of the 1930's. Most of the terms that were considered vulgar may be a bit distasteful, but is nothing that is not heard on the streets today. Extreme profanity is not extraneous in the novel, in fact, it is tame compared to slang terms used today. Casy, the former preacher that was traveling with the Joads, is not be given the connotation as the most holy man. Casy did not consider himself a minister at the time The Grapes of Wrath takes place. "But I ain't a preacher no more" is spoken many times by Casy in denial that he is a man of the cloth. Indeed, Casy is brutally killed in the novel, but it does not go into graphic, violent detail. Once again, Casy's feelings against the employers and government were common to the time and were used to state that idea.
The Grapes of Wrath attempts to show the difference between the groups of people and the characters along the lines of race, class, and religion, which are discussed in this paper. The Okies' racial status as Anglo Americans appeared to distinguish them from other immigrant workers. Steinbeck utilizes their whiteness further bolstering his good fortune. The "Harvest Gypsies" articles underline the migrants' Anglo-Saxon legacy: their names "show that they are of English, German and Scandinavian plunge." To these families living in provincial regions, with names like "Munns, Holbrooks, Hansens, Schmidts," majority rules system "was not just conceivable be that as it may inescapable" (Hicks, 1939). Steinbeck announces that "this new race" is in California for all time, dissimilar to past migrant gatherings who were extradited when they were no more handy; consequently, he predicts, the state will need to adjust its framework to suit them. Since they are Americans, "the old routines for constraint, of starvation wages, of imprisoning, beating and intimidation are not going to work." The Grapes of Wrath offers a challenge to working class readers to unite with the working population subjects of the story, contending that the desolates of capital amassing are felt all around the society, even all the more intensely on the penniless migrant workers.
How does the concept of redemption impact The Grapes of Wrath? As John Steinbeck’s critically acclaimed novel, the allegory of the Joad family during the Dust Bowl represents the quest for redemption a myriad of people seek. Generally, the notion of redemption, found in religion, psychology, and in literature, impacts people’s lives in the present day as well as in the midst of the Depression era. In The Grapes of Wrath, Jim Casy, the moral compass for Joad family, utilizes his experience as a former preacher to offer intuition in relation to the nature of sin and inadvertently influence other characters to search for absolution as he did. Likewise, Uncle John feels remorse for the death of his wife, yet encounters redemption in venturing to California and choosing to absolve himself from his guilt. Additionally, Tom Joad, the protagonist, feels no inclination to redeem himself, until one incident induces him to make a sacrifice, therefore allowing him to become a savior for migrant
Steinbeck's political views are quite evident within The Grapes of Wrath. The subject of much controversy, The Grapes of Wrath serves as a social protest and commentary. Steinbeck's views as expressed through the novel tie directly into the Marxist ideals on communism.
“In the evening a strange thing happened…” (Steinbeck, 192). In chapter 17 of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, the reader witnesses the unity of the masses. As all the families gather in a camp after a long day driving, there is some sudden connection between the strangers. Steinbeck turns giant quantities (hundreds of people/twenty families) into one family, one struggle, and one dream for a better life. The word “one” is utilized to link these families to each other. A single guitar is able to gather a crowd men and women in a single song, and the birth of a single child is enough to amaze an entire camp. Quantity is reoccurring this text, but is very trivial in the scheme of things. The number of people seems irrelevant to the greater