The Grapes of Wrath - 6

The hero of the book The Grapes of Wrath is Tom Joad. The book begins with Tom getting out of prison and coming home. Because of being in prison, Tom is used to thinking about himself and thinking about one thing at a time. In prison, as a coping mechanism, Tom thought only about what was right in front of him, he did not think about the future. If Tom were to begin thinking about the future, and when he might get out of prison, it overwhelmed him and he would be on the edge of going mad.

After Tom got home and was informed that the family was moving West, Tom had to make many adjustments in order to survive. In one instance when Tom was heated, he told Casy,

"I'm jus' puttin' one foot in front a the other. I done it at Mac for four years, jus' marchin' in cell an' out cell an' in mess an' out mess. Jesus Christ, I thought it'd be somepin different when I come out! Couldn't think a nothin' in there, else you go stir happy, an' now can't think a nothin'. This here bearing went out. We didn' know it was goin', se we didn' worry none. Now she's out an' we'll fix her. An' by Christ that goes for the rest of it! I ain't gonna worry. I can't do it. This here little piece of iron an' babbitt. See it? Ya see it? Well, that's the only goddamn thing in the world I got on my mind." (Steinbeck 173)

As you can see, Tom stayed positive. Everyone else was worrying, and Tom chose not to worry, because worrying will not solve anything. Throughout the novel, we see Tom's good character and see that he is helpful, faitful, hard working, good-natured, wise, and protective. He is a great man and does everything in his power to take care of his family.

In Tom's last appearance in the book before leaving, his ma is worried about Tom. She is worried that he will leave and she may never see him again and may never know if he is dead or alive. Tom decided that when he left he was not going to live for himself. Instead, Tom was going to help other people. He viewed it wrong to get a job to feed his family, if it was starving another family. Tom was determined that he could help solve the problem of hunger and was going to lead others to help as well. When his ma was worrying if she would ever see him again, Tom told her,

"Then I'll be all aroun' in the dark. 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. If Casy knowed, wh, 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 an' they know supper's ready. An' when our folks wat the sruff they raise an' live in the houses they build-why, I'll be there. See?" (Steinbeck 419)

Tom is giving himself up for a greater purpose. Through the book we see a huge transformation in Tom. Although he always had good moral character, by the end, he finally realized that he needed to be living differently, and he acted on it. He did not just think it, he acted. That is completely respectable, and we could all learn some things from Tom Joad, and that is why he is the protagonist of the novel.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.