Biblical Allusions In The Grapes Of Wrath

she gives birth to her stillborn child, she gives life to a starving man by breast-feeding

John Steinbeck usually uses California and the Salinas valley as his setting and is usually placed in the 30s when the great depression occurred. The Grapes of Wrath is about a family living in Oklahoma and they are farmers during the period called the dustbowl in which culture was rough because there were droughts and conditions were not suitable for farming. This family, because they are not doing too well, decide to move to California to find jobs and dignity. The author writes about the struggle of a family during and Great Depression and also the struggle of each individual as their lives are being torn apart. He not only shows how they go through these hardships, but also how they will overcome them. In John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, he argues that all who follow the ways of the Bible will become renewed at the end. He uses religion and parallelism in order to bring to light, the chance of hope that is evident within dire circumstances, and project changes within people during turmoil.

Above all it showed everyone that these "damn Okies" were all simply men, women, and children, no different from anyone else, just poorer (Frohock 133). They were human beings with feelings and not the uncivilized beasts they were portrayed as at the time. John Steinbeck carefully molded his story The Grapes of Wrath to encompass many themes and ideas. To help enforce his message Steinbeck included several Biblical allusions. John Steinbeck uses Biblical allusions to create the theme that strength to survive comes from faith by using characters and events. Steinbeck creates the theme of the novel by alluding the characters in his story to characters in the Bible. Jim Casy is an allusion to Jesus Christ. They have the same initials and live their lives as examples of their beliefs: Jesus to the world as Casy is to Tom (Rombold 149). Casy even compares himself to Christ when he says, "I got tired like Him, an' I got mixed up like Him, an' I went into the wilderness like Him, without no campin' stuff" (105). In the first half of the book Casy is thinking and forming his ideas. He changes from a thinker to a man of action when he sacrifices himself for Tom (Slade 242). When in prison Casy sees the advantage of organizing people to achieve a common goal. When Casy tried to put his ideas into action he, like Christ, aroused the antagonism of the people in authority and was brutally killed. He died, like Christ saying to his crucifiers,

In David Cassuto’s essay “Turning Wine into Water: Water as Privileged Signifier in ‘The Grapes of Wrath”, the author highlights both the importance of water in the Great Plains in the 1930’s and the importance of water in the Joad’s journey. Cassuto focuses especially on the land’s need for water and, despite the necessity of water, on how it was a “commodity” and a “symbol of wealth.” He calls to mind the separation of class ever-present in Steinbeck’s novel and how it was based on who had control of the water. He also points out that the abundance of water during the flooding works as a “maximum counterpoint” to the Dust Bowl droughts. Cassuto proposes that “Steinbeck weaves water into the novel’s structure as well as virtually every thematically significant event”. Cassuto concludes that the conflict between water and land is as prevalent in the novel as the men and their women and the duality with the men and their land.

     Jim Casy has to be one of the most obvious references to the Bible. His character is meant to parallel Jesus. They both have the same initials, J.C., and Casy prided himself on finding out what was wrong and right just as Jesus did with preaching the difference between good and evil. In chapter 20 Casy gives himself up and gets arrested to save Tom. This action portrays Casy as a symbol of Christ. While in prison he finds his calling as a voice for the migrant farm workers. He is ultimately crucified for his actions in chapter 26. Casy says to his murders “ ’You don’t know what you’re a-doin!’ “ (Steinbeck, 527) which parallels Jesus’ words when he is being crucified, “ ’Father, forgive them,

The Bible is most widely sold book in history, and possibly the most influential. Contrast that with The Grapes of Wrath, a book that was banned in America until rather recently, and the two seem very unrelated. However, John Steinbeck uses the bible as a source of inspiration in The Grapes of Wrath and includes references to the Bible throughout the book. Steinbeck’s book serves to protest the large big business capitalism, that plagues the migrants throughout the book and promotes a socialist revolution in the United States. The biblical references featured in The Grapes of Wrath are meant to show the common people will always prevail over the powerful minority, and there will always be a Christ-like figure that will lead that revolution. Steinbeck utilizes The Grapes of Wrath to open the reader to the idea of a democratic socialist revolution in the United States by grounding his argument in biblical allusions to emphasize his socialist rhetoric.

Another aspect of Steinbeck's character symbolism comes in the form of Jim Casy, a man undoubtedly more religious than anyone else on the journey to a better place. He is the preacher picked up along the way by the Joad's and Steinbeck manages to squeeze in a lot of background about his character. And, much of the background he creates about Mr. Casy shows us what a biblical man he really is supposed to be. So much so, that Steinbeck seems to use Casy as a symbol of Christ Himself. Oddly enough, his initials were not only the same as Jesus Christ's, but also much of his life parallels the biblical accounts of Christ. Not only did he too begin his long trek after a sojourn in the wilderness, he also had rejected an old religion to try and find his own version of the Gospel and convince people to follow him. Even his death mirrored an aspect of Christ's story, occurring in the middle of a stream, resembling the "crossing over Jordan" account in the Bible. "Particularly significant, however, are Casy's last words directed to the man who murders him" (De Schweinitz,

3.. The tile itself is an allusion to a biblical reference. The line “Grapes of Wrath” comes from a Hymn, songs sang in churches, titled “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” The journey that the Joad family goes on is a biblical allusion to the Exodus Journey. All the parts of the Journey can be traced back to the Bible. When the drought that stops the family from working in family comes to the journey to california and to working in california. The farm because their prison like the prisoners of the Pharaoh, and their journey to run away from the Pharaoh and to the Promised land can be seen throughout the entirety of the book. Although it might not be that obvious, the tale of Noah’s ark can be see through the family as they go from one car to another throughout the journey. “Noah stood on the ground looking up at the great load of them sitting on top of the truck.” (The Grapes, P. 84) Jim Casy can also be seen as Moses. Casy acts as a leader and helped the Joads start a new life much like moses who guided people out of Egypt. Joads “resurrection” as Jim Casy can also be alluded to the Bible. Ma joad can also be seen as the Virgin Mary From the Bible. She reveals her strength and is very selfless and knows her morals. Rose of Sharon can also be seen as the Virgin Mary. Rose of Sharon is very humble and helps many people throughout the journey and shows selflessness and humbleness. The allusions to the Bible is very important in this novel because it helps deliver that

An example of a character who did not follow this belief closely was Tom Joad. He never kept his anger to himself especially when it came to people he loved being crossed. At one point, Tom and Jim Casy are confronted by police officers. When one kills Jim Casy, Tom Joad lashes out and kills one of the officers in a fit of rage for revenge. “Tom looked down at the preacher.

The Grapes of Wrath written by John Steinbeck describes a family’s attempt at finding prosperity in a new land. In many instances throughout the novel, there are parallels to various Biblical passages, including both the Old and New Testaments. From specific details to broad themes, these allusions can be found in any part of the novel. The Grapes of Wrath has parallels to the Bible through Jim Casey, other characters, and the Joads’ journey to California.

The Grapes of Wrath, written by John Steinbeck, is a novel that apprehends the hardships and struggles of the dust bowl from a farming family’s perspective. The book tells about the Joad family, who were Oklahoma natives, and what pushed them away from their home. Farming during this time was nearly impossible. Little rain and large amounts of wind caused many issues in the farming industry. Steinbeck pointed out these problems in The Grapes of Wrath. He provides us with insight of the erosion of the soil, the failure of the crops, and the loss of farmland. All of these events relate to the atmospheric conditions of the dust bowl.

In the Grapes of Wrath, a novel written in 1939 by author John Steinbeck, the reader is able to experience the Great Depression through the eyes of the Joads, a family who is driven from their farm in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl and seeks refuge in the “plentiful” land of California. Through the Joads, one is able to fully understand and realize the reality that many families faced during the 1930s through both the experiences of the Joads and the attitudes of the author seen in this novel.

In “the Grapes of Wrath,” John Steinbeck not only highlights the many hardships faced by reluctant travelers in the Dust Bowl, but showcases their bravery and determination in their search for better lives. In chapter three of the novel, Steinbeck reveals his belief that all people possess the power to create new lives for themselves through metaphor in a turtle, wild oats, and speeding trucks.

In order to make ties to Christianity, Steinbeck structures The Grapes of Wrath to include events similar to those of the Bible. Starting with the Old Testament and progressing to the New Testament, Steinbeck relates the events of the novel to specific biblical accounts, compacting hundreds of years of biblical revelation into one work.1 The three most notable plot parallels between The Grapes of Wrath and the Bible are the symbols of the flood, the stable, and communion. Just as the flood story in the Old Testament expresses destruction and a new beginning, the flood in The Grapes of Wrath represents a much needed purge that would give way to new

Jim Casy, a martyr and leader with a large following, reflects the sacrifices of Jesus Christ for the downtrodden by rebelling against the privileged and the religious constrictions of their time. Jim Casy parallels Jesus Christ in many ways throughout the novel. Steinbeck purposefully gave Jim Casy the same initials as Jesus Christ in order to signify the link between these two influential figures. Jim Casy, like Jesus Christ, is consistently willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good. When a scuffle ensues between Tom Joad and a police officer in Hooverville, Jim Casey offers take the blame: “‘Somebody got to take the blame. I got no kids. They’ll jus’ put me in jail, an’ I ain’t doin’ nothin’