Jim Casy In John Steinbeck's 'The Grapes Of Wrath'

Tom went through a drastic change: from selfish, ignorant and unpurposeful, into a man that embodies every great idea and quality that Steinbeck wanted readers to take. Casy’s brilliant views on humanity were within Tom throughout the novel; Tom just needed time to put them together. What he learned translated into themes involving the value of others’ ideas, unifying mankind for its own improvement, and devoting life towards a better tomorrow for generations to

California and the flood at the end of the novel, and teachings throughout the novel.

were cruel people who cared about themselves. So that Casy?s life ended tragically, before he

At first, Tom only cared about himself and how he would succeed. Pretty soon, he has the same line of thinking as Preacher Jim Casy. “[sic] I’ll be ever’where-wherever you look. Wherever they’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there. Wherever they’s a cop beatin’ up a guy, I’ll be there” (Steinbeck 537). Tom is talking about how he wants to organize a strike like what Casy did. He believes that if everyone joins together, then the cops can not touch them. He forgot about what is best for

In chapter six Tom and Casy find his house abandoned and later on Muley runs into them, an old neighbor. Muley is living alone, after refusing to leave his home for California. Tom believes in being a straight forward person who faces problems head on instead of cowering from them. This is shown when he, along with Muley and Casy have to hide from a deputy searching for trespassers after seeing their fire. Tom is angry about having to hide

As the novel progresses, Tom transforms from this selfish nature to become a caring person. Several examples of this transformation are seen throughout various chapters. When the Joads are traveling west to California with the Wilson’s, Tom offers to help them when their car breaks down. “Tom said nervously, ‘Look Al. I done my time, an’ now it’s done… Let’s jus’ try an’ get a con-rod an’ the hell with the res’ of it.’” Tom is showing a little more care for other people’s problems, however, he still has a selfish side because he still does not regret killing a man. He knew he had to pay for it by going to prison, but he still believes he did nothing wrong by taking a man’s life. By offering to help out with the Wilson’s’ car, he is on his way to becoming a less selfish person. As the book draws to a close, Tom stumbles upon Jim Casy again, who is murdered in front of his own eyes. As a result, he is thrown into a silent rage and kills another man which causes him to hide in the forest. He realizes that he is a danger to his family, so he sacrifices his safety in order for his family to be safe. ‘“Ya can’t do that, Ma. I tell you I’m jus’ a danger to ya,”’ (391). There is a clear transition from Tom acting selfish at the beginning of the book to him acting completely selfless at the end. This selflessness also contributed to him being a figure committed to bettering the

Learning about culture, he depicts flaws, as he’s “been walkin’around’ in the country. Ever’body’s askin’ that. What we comin’ to? Seems to me we don’t never come to nothin’. Always on the way. Always goin’ and goin’.” (163). Steinbeck would use Casy’s sermons as a biblical allusion to Jesus ministry to reinforce the theme of salvation. Later Jim Casy realizes that he has found his place in society after being from alienation from so long, with learning more about the Joad family and his experience at the jailhouse, “jail house is a kinda funny place...Here's me, been a-goin' into the wilderness like Jesus to try find out somepin. Almost got her sometimes, too. But it's in the jail house I really got her” (382). Jim Casy seems to found his place in society with what he has experience from being with the Joad family then to learning about the corrupt justice system at Hooverville then to jailhouse where he learns about the effectiveness of group action by observing his fellow inmates working together showing that sense of unity. He would then form a group after he splits from the jailhouse, as he founds his place of becoming an advocate for the migrant workers. He feels that he has to contend with the very ideals and he must spread to

When Tom Joad sees Jim Casy as he walks to the Joad ranch after being dropped off from the truck, he asks Jim Casy if he preaches anymore because he remembers Jim Casy as a preacher. Jim Casy says he does not preach anymore because he does not believe in God. After he went into the forest and rediscovered more about life, he changed the way. Jim Casy has moved on from what he used to do to a new understanding to religion and life.

“You don’ know what you’re a-doin’,” were Casy’s last words before he died as a martyr. Casy died for his cause, his belief that the elite were not truly aware of how their greed was causing the suffering of the weak and that the weak could only surpass their sorrows if they worked together. Steinbeck uses chapter 25 of Grapes of Wrath to portray this very message. Steinbeck uses an array of rhetorical devices such as symbolism and the use of a instructive tone which gives the reader a sense of being sermonized to portray the greed of the elite and how that fuels the wrath of the weak, while also empowering the weak to join together and warning the elite of the inevitable consequences of

As the novel begins, Tom has a completely independent outlook on life; concerned only with returning home from prison to indulge his own comforts and wants. It is only later after he has endured the hardships of the journey, in Jim Casy’s death, and his own exile, that he has time to think and realizes that it is united we stand, and divided we fall. He thus sacrifices his personal concerns and safety and leaves the family to go out into the larger community and help his people. He will go out and work to complete what Jim Casy had started. Whereas Jim Casy was too much of an idealist, Tom will try and put his plan into action: “Wherever they’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there. Wherever they’s a cop beatin’ up a guy, I’ll be there.” (537)

Jim Casy, a martyr and leader with a large following, reflects the sacrifices of Jesus Christ for the downtrodden by uniting the less privileged and rebelling against 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’ but set aroun”(266-267). Jim does not want Tom to be arrested because Tom has broken parole, Jim recognizes that there would be less suffering if he takes the blame, so he does. Jim is watching out for someone he cares for deeply, and is willing to make a sacrifice for Tom. He would rather be punished than see another person be punished more than himself. Jim believes that since he’s “got no kids,” it would be better for him to be in jail as compared to Tom because Tom has a family and is someone’s son. Jim values family and wants to keep the Joad family together and since he does not have his own family and does not have a present father, Jim believes it would be better for him to be in jail as opposed to Tom. Jim thinks that his life is less important than some

Tom, though, is a very complicated individual who turns out to be a tremendous asset and burden to the family. His parole causes the family an unneeded worry, but does get work that helps the family. He is the main protagonist for his family and the main follower of Jim Casy's philosophy on human nature. Jim is much more of a talker and idealist, and he actually puts what he preached into action. Jim Casy is frequently compared with Jesus Christ and his lifestyle of preaching and leading people. As well as sacrificing himself for Tom and the Joad family which upholds his common held belief. Tom carries Jim’s message after his death and aids others with it. The Joad family, along with Jim Casy, shows the benefit of people uniting in order to accomplish goals and this is a lesson that the reader can take away from this novel.

In the last meeting with his mother, Tom explains to his mother that it isn’t just about the few, but the many. This revelation is a long time coming and something he has been thinking about for a while. In this heart-felt departure from his mother and family, he quotes Casy,’s preaching from the bible to express his conclusions. “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lif’ up his fellow, but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, for he hath not another to help him up.”

“Somebody got to take the blame. I got no kids. They’ll jus’ put me in jail, an’ I ain’t doin’ nothin’ but set aroun’” (Steinbeck 363). He had risked his life multiple times for the Joad family, including the time when Tom had injured a deputy, Casy covered for him and went to jail. Despite the fact that he was an ex preacher, he managed to always give people inspiration through his words. “Try an’ tell ‘em, Tom. They’ll get two an’ a half, jus’ the minute we’re gone” (Steinbeck 523). When Jim Casy encountered Tom Joad near the peach picking ranch, he was a “leader” of a red group protesting the pay received by the same peach camp the Joads were at. Casy tried to warn Tom of the pay cut the family would receive and encouraged Tom to move somewhere

After meeting Jim Casy and traveling to California with his family, Tom starts to change his idea of see others and the world. Well walking to his father’s house, Tom encounters Jim Casy a former preacher he knew. Tom takes a break and they catch up with what is going on with their lives. This is one of the first examples of how Tom is starting to be more social after being in prison for four years. During their talk Casy gives Tom the idea that,”Maybe all men got one big soul ever'body's a part of.”(Steinbeck 33) Casy tries to explain to Tom that he believes that everyone in the world are just one big family. This simple idea later makes Tom leave his family so he can go help others in need. Without meeting Casy Tom wouldn’t of become the man we see at the end of the novel. Another example of Tom changing as a character is in chapter 16 where he meets a one eyed mechanic. Tom feels bad for the guy and decides to