The character analysis is a study of a certain character in The Grapes Of Wrath by John Steinbeck. The main character, which is also the protagonist, of The Grapes Of Wrath is Tom Joad. The novel follows his story as he returns to Oklahoma after spending time in prison for killing a man. The events of The Grapes Of Wrath take place during the Great Depression era, which was very dangerous for people who had families because they were forced to work at terrible jobs and living conditions. The secondary character of The Grapes Of Wrath is Jim Casy, who meets Tom on his way back home to Oklahoma.
Jim plays a critical role throughout The Grapes Of Wrath because he shows Tom around the country as Tom searches for his family. The analysis will include how Steinbeck presents each character’s physical appearance, their important relationships with other characters, and finally what happens to them at the end of the novel. The events that occur at the are extremely meaningful to Jim Casy’s character because The Grapes Of Wrath ends with Jim Casy being killed. The most important physical feature of Jim Casy is that he has a disreputable appearance.
The author writes, “The preacher wore clean blue jeans and his feet were in good shape. ” The phrase, “good shape” means that his feet are not damaged at all. The reason this is important for the reader to know is because when Tom first meets him they start walking together and it becomes clear how far Jim had come from where he began by the condition of his feet. The author also writes, “His eyes were quick and searching, but never alight anywhere long enough to be recognized. ” The quote shows that although Jim Casy seems friendly on the outside, he is unsure of himself in reality.
The most important relationships that Jim Casy has in The Grapes Of Wrath are the relationships with Tom Joad and The Preacher. The author writes, “He [Jim Casy] liked the preacher’s company… And when they became acquainted, they urged each other to talk. ” The quote shows how similar Jim Casy and The Preacher are because both men want to help out people in need even though they do not have much experience doing so. The turning point for Jim Casy’s character is when The Preacher cuts his hair off.
The author writes, “The preacher looked at him earnestly with hopeful eyes.. Then he put the scissors into Jim’s hand. ” The reason this event is so significant to Jim Casy’s character is because The Preacher trusts Jim Casy by giving him the scissors, even though The Preacher has no reason to do so. The outcome of The Grapes Of Wrath for Jim Casy is extremely negative because The Grapes Of Wrath ends with Jim being killed. The author writes, “… He [Jim] looked up at the dark doorway and listened a moment… He squatted down in front of her.
‘Sis,’ he said, ‘look-a-here. [pulls out his pocketknife]” The quote shows how Jim tries to comfort Rose of Sharon on her deathbed, but instead she attacks him and he dies from her attack. The physical appearance of The Grapes Of Wrath is described differently than Jim Casy because The Grapes Of The Wrath does not have a singular person that plays the role that Jim plays in The Grapes Of Wrath. The most important relationship The Grapes Of The Wrath has with other characters is its relationship to Ma Joad. The author writes, “She [Ma] looked at Rose of Sharon.. ‘You got to feed her. ”
The quote shows how much Ma cares for Rose of Sharon because she tries to remind her daughter-in-law what actions need to be done. Finally the outcome of The Grapes Of The Wrath’s story is very different from Jim’s character’s because it ends happily ever after. The author writes, “Al took a deep breath and let it out slowly. ” The quote shows how The Grapes Of The Wrath is a strong family that sticks together even though adversity faces them in the form of losing The Joad’s farm, having to travel across the country leaving their hometown behind them, and finally Tom going to jail because he beat up a deputy sheriff.
The novel The Grapes of Wrath illustrates that there are many different types of people in the world, and Jim Casy is one who represents all these different groups. The purpose of this analysis is to show how Jim Casy embodies many different characters within The Grapes Of Wrath , namely The Preacher, The Exiled Native Son, The Broken Man, The Stereotype Stereotyped , The Strong Man, The Warrior , The Displaced Person, and The Free Thinker.
The Preacher: When Jim first describes his time as a preacher it says “He was at once priest and puncher” (Steinbeck 14). This quote implies that he was both religious and tough. It later said that “The preacher had known the exact instant to throw the bomb. The column stopped. The soldiers stood uncertainly” (Steinbeck 17). This implies that Jim was rebellious, suggesting that he was not afraid to speak back against his government.. The same quote states “He preached revolution and went out with the strikers… To be a good fellow all you had to do was say ‘Hell, no! We won’t go!’ The little red-faced man shouted ‘Get out of here! You stink worse than any army I ever saw!’ And so saying he turned off the projector” (Steinbeck 16).
This implies that Jim will not hesitate to speak back against someone who crosses him. The same quote states “He made no sermons, but he told one story after another, endless stories of his own people… The preacher was always discovering things” (Steinbeck 14-15). This quote shows that Jim will not be silent when something really needs to be said.
