John Steinbeck is an author known worldwide for his compelling stories and novels. One such novel is
The Grapes of Wrath. This novel was written to expose the plight of those dispossessed from their l
ands by the Great Depression. Steinbeck uses several literary elements to help relate the story to t
he reader. In The Grapes of Wrath, as in his other works, Steinbeck relies on the use of symbolism t
o strengthen and enhance the plot. By far, the most involved example of symbolism is found in the ch
aracter of the preacher, Jim Casy. Casy not only is a Christ figure but also embodies the belief of
Transcendentalism. These are supported by many examples throughout the story. Some of these examples
are easily noticed, others require more thought to be understood. The symbolism found in Jim Casy d
oes a great deal to bring together the events that make up the story.
That Casy is a Christ figure
can be shown in several ways. One obvious (or perhaps not as obvious as it may seem) similarity betw
een Casy and Christ is that they share the same initials, J.C. It was not merely coincidence that St
einbeck chose the name Jim Casy. Initials, however, are not the only thing that Casy and Christ shar
e. Another similarity is that both men went into the wilderness before coming back to the public lif
e. Christ went into the desert for a period of forty days of intense prayer with the Father before c
oming into his public life of preaching. Casy follows a slightly different, but on the whole, simila
r pattern. Casy tells the reader that he had been a preacher, but had become unsure of what holy rea
lly means. He spent four years away from society, and after spending some time with the Joad family,
has fully developed his religious beliefs and transforms his words into action.
These words that C
asy preaches toward the end of the story are those of Transcendentalism, a belief begun by several p
rominent American writers in the 19th Century. The Transcendentalists, including such names as Ralph
Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, believed "in the essential unity of all creation, the innate
goodness of man, and the supremacy of insight over logic aand experience for the revelation of the
deepest truths" (Encyclopaedia Britannica, Vol 11, 894). Casy, by comparison, says in the story, "Al
l that lives is holy" (Steinbeck 157), tying in the belief of the natural goodness found in man. As
his beliefs develop, Casy begins to see that all of creation and humankind is united, and that he mu
st not work for the improvement of the souls of individuals, but for the improvement of the total hu
man condition. Transcendentalism differs greatly from mainstream Christianity, but Steinbeck chose t
o incorporate this belief into the character of Casy for a very important reason. In the time period
when this book was written, the Great Depression, the worship of some distant God was not the first
thing on the minds of the millions of people who were starving, barely earning enough to keep alive
. Transcendentalism, however, was something with which these people could relate. If all humanity wa
s united, then people should work together for the common good. If there was anything they needed, t
he poor of that era needed the rich to work toward the common good, by giving to the poor what they
had in surplus. This is what Casy is working toward in the story just before he dies.
In death too
Casy bore a similarity to Christ. Christ was willing to give himself up to save mankind from its sin
s. Casy gives up himself to save the life of Tom Joad, who trips a police officer trying to break up
a camp of the vagrant farmers, dispossessed from their lands. Also,just before he had his head bash
ed in by a club-weilding cop, Jim Casy had told him, "You don' know what you're a-doin'" (Steinbeck
426). This bears a striking resemblance to a few of the last words uttered by Jesus Christ as he hun
g on the cross: "Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do" (Bible, Jn. 23:34). So Casy was l
ike Christ in life and in death.
Besides the symbolism in the character of Casy, there are a few ot
her examples of symbolism. One such symbol is the farmland of the Joads and the other tenant farmers
. This land symbolized the life of these farmers. Originally, this land had been settled on by their
fathers or their grandfathers. For many of these people, this land was the only thing that they had
ever known, the only constant in their lives.
When the depression hit and they were told by repres
entatives of "the Bank" that they must leave this land, it was as if they had just been told they we
re going to die. Many of them do die, spiritually if not physically. One of the casualties was Gramp
a Joad. After the Joads left the land, Grampa was not the same, and after a few days on the road, he
dies. The land was Grampa's life; when he was taken from it, he ceased to live. Even more encompass
ing, though, is that the land symbolizes all things living. Thus when the people are taken away and
replaced by machinery to do the farming, something is lost, more than a job, more than a farmer's li
fe. According to Transcendentalism, all living things are united, and are part of a whole. Thus when
the people are taken from the land, part of this whole is lost. The whole can no longer fuction as
it once did, not until the missing parts are replaced. Thus the symbol of the land ties in with the
symbol found in Casy.
Yet another symbol in The Grapes of Wrath is the turtle which appears in one
of Steinbeck's intercalary chapters, and which later is picked up by Tom on the roadside shortly aft
er he was paroled from McAlester prison. At first a woman driving a car swerves to avoid the turtle
as it crosses the highway, then a man in a truck swerves to try and hit the turtle. The truck just t
ouches the edge of the turtle's shell, and "flipped the turtle like a tiddly-wink...off the highway"
(Steinbeck 16).11 In this instance the turtle symbolizes the tenacity of the vagrant farmers in Cal
ifornia. The farmers, although homeless, jobless, and out of money, do not give up their struggle.
The turtle appears in a later chapter, when Tom finds it and is planning to give this turtle to his
younger brother and sister; however, he later decided to let the turtle go. As the turtle walked awa
y, Tom and Casy watched it as it moved slowly and steadily toward the southwest. Watching it, Tom co
mments that turtles alwaysss seem to be going someplace and are trying to get there. In this case, t
he turtle symbolizes the dispossessed farmers and their movement to the southwestern part of the Uni
ted States, specifically California, where they believed they would find jobs in abundance and would
have total happiness. In addition to this, the turtle also foreshadows the eventual movement of the
Joads to California. So through the turtle Steinbeck helps to show the plight of the vagrant farmer
s.
Throughout The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck utilizes symbolism many times to emphasize different i
deas. Casy is a Christ figure and also symbolizes the belief of Transcendentalism. The land of the t
enant farmers like the Joads symbolizes the life of them, and even more the life of all things. The
turtle represents the struggle of the vagrants as the keep moving, trying to find that ideal that dr
ew them to California, looking for something better than what they had, which was essentially nothin
g, other than each other. The theme Steinbeck is trying to relate through the story is this: united,
mankind can advance; divided, mankind will fall, but only half, never a full step back.
john stein
beck author known worldwide compelling stories novels such novel grapes wrath this novel written exp
ose plight those dispossessed from their lands great depression steinbeck uses several literary elem
ents help relate story reader grapes wrath other works steinbeck relies symbolism strengthen enhance
plot most involved example symbolism found character preacher casy casy only christ figure also emb
odies belief transcendentalism these supported many examples throughout story some these examples ea
sily noticed others require more thought understood symbolism found casy does great deal bring toget
her events that make story that christ figure shown several ways obvious perhaps obvious seem simila
rity between christ that they share same initials merely coincidence chose name initials however onl
y thing share another similarity both went into wilderness before coming back public life went into
desert period forty days intense prayer with father before coming into public life preaching follows
slightly different whole similar pattern tells reader been preacher become unsure what holy really
means spent four years away from society after spending some time with joad family fully developed r
eligious beliefs transforms words action these words preaches toward those transcendentalism belief
begun several prominent american writers century transcendentalists including such names ralph waldo
emerson henry david thoreau believed essential unity creation innate goodness supremacy insight ove
r logic aand experience revelation deepest truths encyclopaedia britannica comparison says lives hol
y tying belief natural goodness found beliefs develop begins creation humankind united must work imp
rovement souls individuals improvement total human condition transcendentalism differs greatly from
mainstream christianity chose incorporate this character very important reason time period when this
book written great depression worship some distant first thing minds millions people were starving
barely earning enough keep alive however something with which people could relate humanity united th
en people should work together common good there anything they needed poor needed rich work toward c
ommon good giving poor what they surplus what working toward just before dies death bore similarity
willing give himself save mankind sins gives himself save life joad trips police officer trying brea
k camp vagrant farmers dispossessed their lands also just head bashed club weilding told know doin b
ears striking resemblance last words uttered jesus hung cross forgive them father know bible like de
ath besides character there other examples such symbol farmland joads other tenant farmers land symb
olized farmers originally land been settled their fathers grandfathers many land only thing ever kno
wn constant lives when depression were told representatives bank must leave just been told were goin
g many them spiritually physically casualties grampa joad after joads left grampa same after days ro
ad dies grampa when taken ceased live even more encompassing though symbolizes things living thus ta
ken away replaced machinery farming something lost more than than farmer according living things uni
ted part whole thus taken part whole lost longer fuction once until missing parts replaced thus symb
ol ties symbol another grapes wrath turtle which appears intercalary chapters which later picked roa
dside shortly paroled mcalester prison first woman driving swerves avoid turtle crosses highway then
truck swerves turtle truck touches edge shell flipped like tiddly wink highway instance symbolizes
tenacity vagrant california although homeless jobless money give struggle appears later chapter find
s planning give younger brother sister however later decided walked away watched moved slowly steadi
ly southwest watching comments turtles alwaysss seem going someplace trying there case symbolizes di
spossessed movement southwestern part states specifically california where believed would find jobs
abundance would have total happiness addition also foreshadows eventual movement joads california th
rough helps show plight vagrant throughout utilizes times emphasize different ideas figure tenant li
ke them even things represents struggle vagrants keep moving trying find ideal drew looking somethin
g better than essentially nothing each theme relate through mankind advance divided mankind will fal
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