Tom`s isolation from the family, and any other human interaction, had allowed him free rein of his time. As a child is told to sit in time out and reflect on thier actions, so too did Tom. His reason for being alone gave way to thoughts of his actions and what had caused them, the murder of the ex-reverend Jim Casy. "Guess who I been thinkin' about? Casy!" ( pg. 418). It was then that Casy truly became a Christ-figure in my opinion. Throughout his time with Casy, Tom unknowingly listened to all Casy said and became the "apostle" to Casy's Christ-figure. It was also, in Chapter 28, when Tom's dynamic character aspects became apparent to any and all who had followed Tom through his journey, reintroducing him as a person prepared to lead the way to change. Chapter 28 was the chapter which presented Tom in his final form, so to speak, and bore the fruit which had been nourished by the hate of migrants. All the challenges and trials thrown at Tom Joad failed to raze his determination, and instead gave way to another unflinching "Okie", adding to the growing grapes of wrath.
Yes, great analysis towards Tom and his reasoning for being the dynamic character and I like how you used Toms isolation towards the world as of a child in timeout.
ReplyDeleteI find that it is much easier to understand a concept through comparison, especially when compared to a relatable subject.
DeleteAs i was reading this post, I realized that Tom and Jim Casey are similar charters. As you stated, Tom started reflecting on his actions and thinking about his life. In the beginning of the novel, Jim told Tom that after he stopped preaching, he would just sit around and reflect on his own life and question various things, like his faith and why people do the things they do. Both characters are similar in this aspect.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I also believe it's this internal questioning that make both Tom and Casey such interesting characters. This paticular ending for Tom made you realize that throughout the book people never stopped and asked "why?" or "how?", or even "when?". People became like animals, with their sole focus on survival. It also led many of the characters to loose touch with their own morals. People began to lose their own humanity.
Delete