Capitalism In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath

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When the Joad family buys new overalls and dresses for almost the whole family, it shows that the Joads are confident in their financial situation. If they were worried about starving, buying new clothes would be a terrible idea. Ma Joad also started buying better food like pork chops. This would both give all of the people more energy for the next day’s work, but also raise the spirits because they have not had the luxury to purchase more expensive meats.
When Tom and Ma were talking in his hideout, he began to explain to Ma his new philosophy of life. He reflects on Casy’s words about how everyone does not have their very own spirits; instead, they all share a large spirit and all help each other out. Overall, he believes that a people knit together in unity is stronger than a people fighting by themselves. Some people say that John Steinbeck was a communist, and Tom’s own philosophy may be representative of the author’s perspective also. …show more content…
However, capitalism thrives on taking advantage of the consumers wants of pleasurable activities: the consumption of alcohol. Uncle John stares at the labels in the grocery store which drives his want for unneeded drinks instead of the survival of the family.
Their conversation together was important because it was their first contact since Tom had gone into hiding. Ma has to feel his face and she is relieved to finally be with her son again; however, the joy is short lived when she realizes that Tom must leave the area because Ruthie had spilled the beans on Tom killing someone. The conversation also goes into what Tom has learned from Casy and the scriptures that he shared. The whole unity idea is playing a large role in Tom’s head, and I would assume that when he does leave, he will try and spread the philosophy to the other around
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