Throughout John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck develops a protagonist, which in turn helps to develop the theme that people's greatest strength lies in numbers. Through the development of the protagonist Tom, Steinbeck is able to convey the novel's central meaning.
Steinbeck first introduces Tom Joad on the side of a road looking for a ride back to his old farm just after getting out of prison. During his four years at prison, he became acquainted with his own self. He did not come out of prison as a man full of anger and hatred, but rather as a man who lives in the present, devoting all of his life to the present. He believes that if he lives his life around more than just the present and incorporates the future into his present life, he will be driven insane. Coming from prison, Tom exhibits rare characteristics of people in his position. He has a strong benevolence for others as well as a rare moral confidence which will play a major role in his decisions in the future.
As Tom continues to devote his entire life to living in the present, his attitudes change as time pushes forward and the hardships crush his family's morality. He is now thinking of the future and possible solutions to his as well as his family's misfortunes. Going against his previous philosophy of devoting the entirety of his life to living in the present and not even thinking about the future, he leaves his family to possibly make their life better than the horrible fortune that they already burdened. By showing this progression of Tom's character, Steinbeck is able to effectively convey the novel's central theme.
In using Tom, Steinbeck is able to portray one of the novel's main themes that people have their greatest strength in numbers. After meeting Jim Casy, the family's former preacher who gave up preaching, and listening to his beliefs, Tom falls in Jim's shadow and becomes a disciple of the beliefs.
Characters in The Grapes of Wrath In the novel The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck created a fascinating array of characters. ... Although the Joad family revolves around Ma Joad, the protagonist in The Grapes of Wrath is Tom Joad. ... The Grapes of Wrath is full of characters readers may identify with, sympathize with, or despise. ... The Grapes of Wrath. ...
In the book The Grapes of Wrath written by John Steinbeck, the main character, Tom Joad, struggles with being in the lower class because of the limitations set by the rich. ... The lyrics "He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored"(Howe) is where Steinbeck got the title for his book. ... The grapes of wrath are referring to the struggles of men when their dreams and lives were infringed upon, causing their anger and vengefulness. ... In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage"(Steinbeck 238). ... In the...
He won the 1940 Pulitzer Prize for his book The Grape of Wraths, which is considered his most famous novel. ... The protagonists are Lenny and George. ... Novels by John Steinbeck include The Pastures of Heaven, The Red Pony, To A God Unknown, Tortilla Flat, In Dubious Battle, Of Mice And Men, The Long Valley, The Grapes Of Wrath, Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday. I like to compare Of Mice and Men to The Red Pony and the Grapes of Wrath because I have read all three of them. ...
Tom Joad in The Grapes Of Wrath Throughout the Novel, The Grapes Of Wrath by John Steinbeck, the main character of Tom Joad is viewed as many different things by the reader. ... Tom also develops the idea that the continuation of life requires rebirth and that all people have the potential for rebirth in The Grapes Of Wrath. ... Tom's interactions with his good friend Jim Casy are the main reason for this change in the protagonist of the novel. ...
Characters: In this story, Tom Joad is the protagonist; he is Ma and Pa Joad's favorite son. ... Plot: In the beginning of the "The Grapes of Wrath," Tom Joad gets released from prison after four years for killing another man. ... Grampa agrees and says that when they get there, he will fill his mouth full of grapes. ... Reaction: The Grapes of Wrath was surprisingly an interesting book. ...
In John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, the author uses setting, characterization combined with theme, and symbolism to communicate his message. ... Using colorful, unpolished language, the protagonists reveal who they really are -down to earth people of integrity and good-will. ...
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck all have social problem involving the main character. ... In The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck's specific writing style allow him to display his views of society through certain characters while yearning to modify the cruel, unjust society Americans live in. ... Steinbeck portrays the plight of the migrant Joad family from Oklahoma to California in search of a better life during the Great Depression in the Grapes of Wrath. As the strong-headed, independent ...
On the other hand, when the interweaving of the stories is skillfully managed by the author, the reader's experience is enriched by the contrast of a global and a particular viewpoint, for example, the alternating chapters in Moby Dick and The Grapes of Wrath. ... Iris is sensible, cynical, observant and detached, everything that the other three female protagonists are not. ...
