Grapes of Wrath
End of Novel Discussion

What did you think of the novel?
– Style of writing – macroscopic vs. microscopic
view; simple, straightforward narrative about the
Joads and “experimental” writing in the intercalary
chapters
– Covers a range of issues – transcendentalism, faults
of capitalism, exploitation of the weak/poor, ties to
the Bible
– He leaves you with some ambiguous scenes/ending

Is the ending of the novel hopeful or
despairing? What gives you this
impression?
– Last intercalary chapter (29)?

Is there a feeling of closure with the Joad
family members? What is happening to the
members of the family?
– Ma: (423) – difference between man and
woman
– Ruthie: (422) – the animal
– Rose of Sharon (425) – the bush
– Tom: (418-419) – Casy learnings
Grapes of Wrath
Religious Ties
Religious References

Jim Casy as Jesus Christ
– Share the same initials
– Jesus went into the wilderness to find his
direction as does Casy when he loses his faith
in religion

Casy 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.”

Casy stirs unrest in the view of the
establishment and has abandoned the
hellfire and brimstone preaching style of his
earlier life
– Similar to Jesus changing from the teaching of
the Old Testament to promote a new harmony
and sense of brotherhood

His disciple can be seen as Tom Joad, who
follows him initially, learning from him, till
he is ready to take over the message himself

Both try to help the weak and poor
 Last lines are similar, “You don’ know what
you’re a-doin.”
– (Luke 23:34) “Father. Forgive them; for they
know not what they do.”

Jesus and his twelve disciples = Casy and
the Joad family (Granpa, Granma, Uncle
John, Ma, Pa, Noah, Tom, Rose of Sharon,
Connie, Al, Ruthie, and Winfield)
– Connie could represent the Judas figure who
betrays Jesus the night of his arrest when he
walks out on his family for selfish reasons
More religious references
References to the sins of characters – especially
Uncle John
 Biblical names – John, Noah (113), Rose of
Sharon The dialogue/dialect of the various
characters constantly use words like, “Jesus
Christ,” “Christ Almighty.”

– There are even lines like “Jes us” (394) when the
speaker is saying “Just us”

The title comes from “The Battle Hymn of the
Republic” and is emphasized in the Jeremaid (tale
of grief, named after the Old Testament prophet
Jeremiah) in chapter 25
– “In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are
filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the
vintage.” (349)

Book of Revelation shows God’s wrath in the
prophecies of the Apocalypse
– “And the angel thrust his sickle into the earth, and
gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great
winepress of the wrath of God” (Rev. 14:19)
Joad family’s journey to California is similar to
the Israelites’ journey from Egypt to Canaan
 Casy’s character could also be tied to Moses

– In the Bible’s book of Exodus, Moses guided
thousands of people (God’s family, the Israelites) out
of severe slavery and harsh treatment in Egypt. From
there he led them into the promised land of Canann
that flowed with milk and honey.
– Steinbeck could be inferring the Joad family as being
the struggling Israelites. Casy acts as a leader who
directs the Joads out of famine and hard times during
the 30s

Steinbeck infers that Casy, who happens to be a
preacher, is somewhat a Christ figure to the
Joad family
– When Pa (and Uncle John) needs help and seeks
guidance, Casy is who he turns to
– Implies that Pa (Uncle John) is symbolically a
typical Christian who is struggling in a world of sin
 Famine and horrible conditions of the Great
Depression stand for the sin that is surrounding
this battling Christian
 So as a final resort this child of God turns to
Jesus Christ for salvation and release from the sin
of his life
Test

Character ID: Casy, Joads, Muley Graves,
Wainwrights, Wilsons, Lisabeth Sandry,
Wallaces, Floyd Knowles, Jim Rawley
 Other characters: Black Hat, One-Eyed junkyard
man, gas station owner, Al and Mae, Pretty Boy
Floyd
 True/False, Multiple Choice, Quote ID, Quote
Significance