Blog #13: Grapes of Wrath Essay

In the beginning of a novel, the main character Tom Joad meets a man named Casy. They'd known each other previously, but they started to become good friends. Later in the book, Casy takes the blame for an incident regarding Tom's family, the Joads, and is killed. Even with his passing, Tom flourishes under the words and philosophy of Casy. Since Casy isn't the main character, he is often overlooked. Even so, he is one of the key motivators in this story. He helped Tom become the man he was in the end of the book, he portrays Steinbeck’s views on religion and humanity, and he inspires both readers and people in the book that people can control their lives.

Before chapter one began, there were author notes in the front of the book giving insight on the situation of the story and the characters. One of the things Steinbeck says about Casy is that, "... Casy's sojourn brings him to an understanding of "deep ecology," an egalitarian, bio-centric, nonsectarian view in which all living things are related and equally valued." From this quote, readers already know the reason why the author wrote Casy the way he did. Throughout the book, there are references to different religious ideas. Some other examples of that was Ma who yelled, "Puh-raise Gawd for Vittory!" and Mrs. Sandry who told Rose of Sharon that her baby would die if she kept committing "sin" by dancing so close to a member of the opposite sex. By showing Casy the was Steinbeck did, he told the reader his perspective on religion and how it influenced people at the time.

Casy took a large part in the character development of the people around him. He gave hope, enthusiasm, and inspired people to keep on moving. He was sort of like a teacher or a leader in this book. Which is ironic, considering how Casy said, "I love people. I want to lead them, but I don't know where to lead them to." He was one of the of biggest, perhaps the biggest, influence on Tom's life because he unintentionally gave ideas Tom had not considered before. Tom had just gotten out of jail in the first part of the book. He didn't really have direction. However, after he met Casy, his life started turning around. His mentality was different and he became less confused with himself. In the end of the book, Tom says, "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. If Casy knowed, why, I’ll be in the way guys yell when they’re mad an’—I’ll be in the way kids laugh when they’re hungry n’ they know supper’s ready. An’ when our folks eat the stuff they raise an’ live in the houses they build—why, I’ll be there. See? God, I’m talkin’ like Casy. Comes of thinkin’ about him so much. Seems like I can see him sometimes."

As I mentioned before, Casy inspired a lot of people. Tom said, "That Casy. He might have been a preacher but he seen things clear. He was like a lantern. He helped me to see things clear." He was also the type of character that asked thought provoking questions and statements. An example of one was, "Maybe there ain't no sin and there ain't no virtue, they's just what people does. Some things folks do is nice and some ain't so nice, and that's all any man's got a right to say." Instead of basing everything on what other people knew, he based things on what he knew. Another quote from Casy was, "Tom, you gotta learn like I'm learnin'. I don't know it right yet myself. That's why I can't ever be a preacher again. Preachers gotta know. I don't know. I gotta ask." This is where he admiringly admits that not everyone knows everything. Even preachers, they've got to ask. This was another statement that pulled out people's beliefs. This was one of the aspects of the book that made it mind bottling, that made people want to keep reading.

Casy was used as a character, but also as an inspirational person. Many say he had accomplished enlightenment. Without Casy, this book wouldn't have any another conflict. It had many problems on a world-wide scale, but Casy was the one who brought out the conflict in people. From this, you realize the importance of every character and the individual personalities of them all.