Grapes Of Wrath Essay Report Essay, Research Paper

Individual to Widespread

Many times in life a person?s views is altered due to real life experiences. Situations a person is put into also may alter these views. This situation occurred in the Grapes or Wrath. As the novel progresses, the Joads progress from concern only for themselves and their own personal welfare to a concern for all the people in the world. This change brought about the disintegration of the small family unit which was replaced by the larger world family of the migrant people.

A good way to illustrate this shift from individual thinking to widespread thinking is through the actions of Tom. When we first meet Tom he has just gotten out of prison and is only concerned with the events that occurred during his absence. As the book progresses Tom opens his views to the immediate family. He begins thinking of the family first rather than of himself first. When Tom starts to see how the migrant people are really living his views change once again. He now has done the full swing to seeing everyone apart of one soul.

The Joad?s as a whole also made this radical swing. At first the Joad family was set out to get their own land and own jobs, but as they saw the real life they started to change. They came to realize that all migrant workers were one big family and only the migrant workers would help each other out. Ma said, ?The family used to come first, but now it?s just anyone who needs help.? This big family also began to replace the Joad?s immediate family. As the Joad?s disintegrated, the big family became more of a factor.

Throughout this book many views were changed. One major shift contained the change from individual thinking to widespread thinking. The Joad?s went from a small family caring only for themselves to a large family containing all migrant workers caring for anyone that needed help. Tom became a totally new person by the end of the book due to this shift.