Chapter 2: Tom Joad's charcter Traits through the Trucker's eyes

As chapter two starts, we are introduced  to the lone trucker. The trucker gets acquainted  with Tom Joads, after Joads asked him for a ride. The Trucker hesitantly agrees to Tom's request. The attentive Trucker first notices Tom's new clothes and shoes. As noted through this quote on page 8, " His eyes began at the new cap, moved down the new clothes to the new shoes". The driver is very suspicious of where Tom got his fresh clothes and his shoes. Through the trucker inquiries, we learn Tom's father is a farmer who owns forty acres of land. We also learn Tom and his dad have not communicated in a long time. On Page 9 the trucker says, ".... I seen your hands.... Been swingin' a pick or an ax or sledge....that shines up your hands....". This quote shows how Tom has very strong arms, and he has been lifting heavy material for a long period of time.

We also learn Through the Trucker's questioning that Tom's dad is named Tom Joad. The trucker feels that Tom is taciturn. " He stopped, feeling lonely after a long speech.... His secret eyes turned on his passenger.... Joad remained silent.... nervously the driver tried to force him into participation." (Steinbeck, 1939, p.10). This quote shows that the tom is a quiet individual. Through this quote, it is acquired that the Trucker gets very lonely on the Job. As their ride continues, we learn that Tom also drinks and smokes. The Trucker's interminable questioning brings out Tom's dark side, showing that Tom does not like being pestered. By the end of the Chapter, the, Tom reveals to the trucker that he has  been in a State Penitentiary for the past four years for committing murder. This revelations shows how forthright Tom is.

Thank you for reading my post, If you have you agree or disagree with the way Tom's character is described, please comment down below. If you have any extra information on the characterization of Tom, feel free to comment below.