... family. At the stage he is at in the first part of the novel, Tom is only concerned with his own wants and desires. These attributes of Tom Joad can be seen through his interactions with some of his family members and some of the other families he comes in contact with along their trek to California, ... it more. When Tom and his family finally reach California, Tom has many experiences that compel him to change from his selfish ways, and more interactions with his Ma and Jim Casy seem to further his desire to become reborn. When Tom meets Jim during the strike at Hooper Ranch, Casy tell...

• Word Count: 953
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... to California. Not only did he change as a result of the long trip, but also he had a major impact on Jim Casy and on the whole Joad family in general. The significance of these changes helped to determine the whole plot of the unfolding story. Tom's influences changed the way the characters felt and acted ... . In the beginning of the novel, Tom Joad has just been released from prison for having killed a man. (Here we find him in a proud, non-regretting state of mind.) As he catches up with ... a life out of catching fish. Tom tried to explain that the family needed him, but it was too ...

• Word Count: 658
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... met anybody like them. They have strong feelings, and when you see all they have to endure, you end up admiring them. As the story begins, Tom Joad, a young man of about thirty, is hitch-hiking home to his parents" farm in Oklahoma. He is dressed in cheap new clothes, for he has just ... have one great soul of which each individual has a small bit for himself. Casy accompanies Tom to his parents" farm, but when the two men reach the Joad place they find it deserted, the house falling down and cotton planted in the dooryard. From a neighbour, Muley Graves, they learn that the Joads (Tom's...

• Word Count: 825
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

In the classic novel, The Grapes of Wrath, the Joad family, who was evicted from their land, decides to migrate out west to California for a chance at survival. John Steinbeck, the author of the novel, uses multiple literary techniques to ... character development is a character that evolves from self indulgence into caring about his or her family, and then finally society. Many characters in the novel complete this cycle, especially Tom Joad. When we first meet Tom in chapter two, he is walking down the road in a cheap new suit because he was just released from prison. Tom convinces a truck...

• Word Count: 1107
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Quote: Tom Joad, page 570: ""Hm-m," he said. "Lookie, Ma. I been all day an" all night hidin" alone. Guess who I been thinkin" about? Casy! He talked a lot. Used ta bother me. But now I been thinkin" what he said, an" I can ... that nobody had a soul. Actually, he thought that everyone was a part of a greater soul, and should always be there for one another. Unlike Casy, people like Muley Graves and Granpa Joad are in opposition to this theory of interdependent living. Both of them wanted to stay behind instead of going to California. They would rather have lived alone and through nature ......

• Word Count: 500
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... be broken, however, and will maintain their self-respect. Using colorful, unpolished language, the protagonists reveal who they really are -down to earth people of integrity and good-will. Tom Joad is not ashamed to admit where he has been the past four years because he paid for his crime, which he characterizes as something he would do again if the ... with the earth rather than with an intangible spiritual source. The people are, nevertheless, spiritual in their endeavors to do what is right and to maintain their humanity and dignity. Ma is portrayed as a loving, strong, calm and very...

• Word Count: 659
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School