... major themes in the novel. It is traceable through many of the characters such as Jim Casey, Tom Joad, Ma Joad, and Rosa of Sharon. It is also traceable through many different actions taken by the Joad family on the whole. The character of Jim Casy plays a strong role in bringing forth the theme in ... literal interpretation it directly contrasts the idea of the Joads moving beyond just a concern for their immediate family to a concern for all of humanity. Ma Joad is the force which holds the family together. She realizes that they have no home and that the only value and meaning in life...

• Word Count: 1013
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... in jerks-- woman, it's all one flow, like a stream- These were the wise words spoken by Ma Joad in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. Ma Joad is the main character in Steinbeck's novel. Every aspect of Ma exudes strength and comfortableness. Steinbeck describes her as being "heavy, but not fat; thick with child bearing ... it was controlled, kindly. Her hazel eyes seemed to have mounted pain and suffering like steps into a high calm and superhuman understanding." (pg. 95) Ma is the families" pillar of strength; the battery that powers the family. "She seemed to know, to accept, to welc...

• Word Count: 519
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... 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

... of Wrath is a novel by John Steinbeck; it tells a story about the struggles of migrant farmers during the Great Depression. The book tells a story about the Joad's, the main family in the book, struggle during these tough times. In the book many of the characters change due to the troubles that they experience. In the ... They have to sell all of their belongings to get money for the trip. Granpa gets second thoughts before they leave and decides he is going to stay. Ma drugs him and they carry him to the car. The first night they stay by the Wilson's. Their car has broken down and the ...

• Word Count: 988
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

John Steinbeck's classic novel, The Grapes of Wrath follows the trials and tribulations of Tom Joad and his family, along with a supporting cast of characters which includes members of Tom's family, as well as local people. When Tom is released from prison ... this book, Jim Casy, who is a former preacher who seems to value the importance of human contact as something quite holy. Tom and Jim together travel to the Joad's residence, only to learn that his family is at his Uncle John's house. There they are planning the long trip to California in search of jobs with high wages ... nearby strea...

• Word Count: 700
• 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

... well before blue screens, computer graphics, or even color picture, this film has an incredibly vibrant and immersing set, even when compared to today's technology. In the Scene when Tom Joad and Jim Casy are walking to his house, when Tom has just returned from jail, is completely taken over by the scenery. The background is full of dead trees and ... Toms house is reached. The gray color in the sky and the dead rolling hills that lead up to it create a mood that is hard to capture. Also, when the Joad family finally reaches a farm in which they can find work and they pass through the ...

• Word Count: 798
• 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