Untitled Essay, Research Paper

Awakening Of Tom Joad Grapes of Wraith by John Steinbeck portrayed the awakening

of a man’s conscience dealing with his troubling trials throughout the novel.

The character that goes through this monumental change is Tom Joad, son of

two tenant farmers from Oklahoma. Tom’s conscience was changed from a loner

who cared nothing about the people to a hardy leader of them. He first looked

after his family on their trip that evolved into including the impoverished

migrant farmers in California.

At the beginning of the novel Tom Joad has just been paroled

after spending four years in a state prison. He stops at a roadside cafe

looking for a ride when he sees a truck with a “No Riders” sticker on it.

Tom’s conversation with this trucker is his first witness to the suppression

of an honest working man by the larger more wealthy corporations since his

release from prison. The trucker tries to socialize with him at this point

but Tom is too absorbed into his own interest in keeping to himself.

Arriving at his house with Jim Casey, Tom visits the abandoned

house with one corner having been knocked in by a tractor. His family had

been compelled to leave their land through repossession by the large corporations

another example in Tom’s life how the larger are trying to control the less

fortunate. This land had been his family’s source of pride and livelihood

throughout his life with them and it’s loss was the first sizable impact

on Tom’s conscience that would lead him to an awakening.

After visiting the land the Joad family had lived on for

many years Tom and Jim traveled to his uncle John’s house nearby. There Tom

meets his family as they are making preparations to leave for California.

Tom’s family has already sold off every valuable possession they own while

living under cramped conditions on old and soiled mattresses in a house not

built to accommodate the size of the entire family. Tom realizes that a family

cannot survive under these destitute conditions unless they cling together

as one unit. Because of this realization Tom becomes protective of his family,

leaving casting off portions of his selfishness for the betterment of his

relatives.

Tom’s final awakening comes when he meets Jim Casy for

the final time outside a work camp in the midst of a strike. There Jim Casy

tells Tom that the only way the worker’s can obtain law and order as well

as, fair wages, is to unite all the migrant workers together and fight against

the larger controlling companies. The statement is driven home when he witnesses

Jim Casy’s passive resistance in response to the threatened violence by the

cops. As the police advance on Jim Casy he yells towards them, ” Listen,

you fellas don’ know what you’re doin’. You’re helpin’ to starve kids.” moments

before his head is brutally crushed by a pick handle. Enraged by the actions

unfolded before him Tom grabs a pick handle and clubs one of the officers

to death before hastily fleeing from the scene.

This event finally made possible the awakening of Tom

Joad. He recognized that if a common man were to ever get a fair chance to

live their life, they would be forced to do so under a united cause. Tom’s

awakening came slowly as he struggled to understand the toils of needing,

not only to care for his family but organize the migrant workers into a force

where they can achieve fair rights. During the final chapters of the novel

Tom recognizes the importance of Jim Casy’s work to unify the people bringing

about a final awakening of his conscience.