Tom Joad And Jim Casy In The Grapes Of Wrath

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Tom Joad vs. Jim Casy

The past can inadvertently affect the future; regardless of the paths traveled and the actions were taken, human morals and ethics change and configure to create the human character. John Steinbeck proceeds to depict how the influence others have among each another is important in his novel The Grapes of Wrath; in a time of despair and turmoil, Steinbeck uses two characters -- Tom Joad and Jim Casy -- to illuminate on human growth through the use of biblical allusions and metaphors. With various similarities and distinct differences, Joad and Casy help to portray human growth in a time of disillusionment by remembering the past and moving forward in the present.

Tom Joad and Jim Casy share many similarities; Steinbeck …show more content…
Brought into a new life by Jim Casy further foreshadows the guidance he will offer Tom Joad on his path to clarity; however, due to his incompetence as a preacher, Joad’s baptism is questionable. Parted by sin, the two are acquainted once again as Tom Joad returns from jail and spots Jim Casy waiting under a tree: “The seated man stared questioningly at him. ‘Now ain’t you young Tom Joad--ol’ Tom’s boy” (Steinbeck 26). This encounter shows how close-knit Tom’s community is; even after years apart, Tom and Casy remember one another, and within seconds become comfortable together. The ability to reconnect so quickly also applies to Casy’s philosophical theory: “maybe all men got one big soul” (Steinbeck 33). Through their simple encounter, Joad and Casy show how protecting one another and lending a helping hand can affect society; not only does providing help to another person help them, but provides help in return to oneself.

Steinbeck’s story development through Tom Joad and Jim Casy further expands on the importance of human virtue and dependency on one another in his novel The Grapes of Wrath. Ultimately, John Steinbeck allows for Joad and Casy to become the quintessential forms of compassion between people in a time of
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