... crime of manslaughter, he begins to return to his family's farm in the infamous "Dust Bowl". Eventually, he meets another main character in 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 ... ...
... able to establish the importance of the human spirit as one, and with that, the strength of group unity. In the novel, Steinbeck introduces Casy as a changed man. Once being a preacher, Casy is troubled by his ideas as he tries to come to terms with God, the human spirit, and sin. He carries weight and is important in the novel because ... ...
... theme. In using Tom, Steinbeck is able to portray one of the novel's main themes that people have their greatest strength in numbers. After meeting Jim Casy, the family's former preacher who gave up preaching, and listening to his beliefs, Tom falls in Jim's shadow and becomes a disciple of the beliefs. Jim believes that the Holy Spirit is in fact the ... ...
... 're going. "Pa sniffled, " Seems like times is changed,' he said sarcastically. "Time was when a man said what we do. Seems like women is tellin' now." (Pg. 481) Casey, a retired preacher, is the next person to change. When he is first introduced in the book, Casey is a lost soul searching for his purpose. He wanders around by himself and is always ... ...
... truck driver he was just released from the state penitentiary for being charged with homicide. Once the trucker drops him off he runs into Jim Casy. He used to be a preacher when Tom was a little boy. Tom asks Jim to go with him to his house, and he says he will. When they get to the Joad's house, it is deserted ... ...
... began picking peaches immediately so that they could have something to eat that night. Tom Joad goes outside to investigate the situation involving the yelling men, and Jim Casy, a former preacher, tells him they are striking against the owners who cut the wages in half. The wages are cut in half the next day, and the Joads decide to leave and ... ...
... past behind him. He maintains his self-worth in spite of the nosy truck- driver's attitude. The other characters are also tied in with the theme. Casy, the family's former preacher, openly admits that experiencing what it means to be human was more important to him than any glorified theological teachings. He represents the connection of the people with the earth ... ...
