Jim Casy's Philosophy

Okay guys,so I'm a bit late to the blogging scene here,but I was curious about  what you all thought about Jim Casy's way of thinking. I really like his idea that working and uniting with your fellow men is one of the holiest acts you could do.You understand everyone else's struggle because you share them,too, and you learn to support each other.The dangers of keeping to yourself for so long is the loss of human contact. You lose touch with people and one doesn't know how to connect with others as easily anymore. So what do you guys think?Is it better to work alone or do you believe that unity is better? What could be the pros and cons to both?

Tom Joad.

Tom from the beginning of the book struck me as an alright kind of guy. Tom after spending a few years in the pen gained a view on life that most people now a days couldn't have. Tom's live life in the moment view made him a real relaxed and easy to like character. It was very apparent that Tom had very little interest or worries. Breaking parole would send Tom back to the pen but regardless he goes along to California displaying his riskiness. Over time Tom begins to change as the rough times get even worse. This is where I begin to like Tom's character. The times and weight of the family get to him and with the words of Casy always in the back of his mind Tom changes for the better. Tom faces the responsibilities he once neglected. The thought of sticking together hits Tom even more and he becomes a leader along with Ma. Right at the end of the book is where we see the greatest change in Tom. Tom decides that he must leave the family behind and follow Casy's ways of helping fight for his people. Even though Tom knows the fate he will face just like he witnessed with Casy, he continues. Tom realizes that he can make a change, that he can be somebody greater and does exactly that. Although we will never know what happens after Tom chooses his future plans all we can assume is that he fought with his life to make a difference. Oh jesus I must have said Tom like a thousand times in this. Anyways I ended up really liking Tom.

California jobs??

So I'm at chapter eighteen and the Joads have heard nothing but the opposite of what the hand bills say. So did they run out of jobs or do they just don't like all the family's coming in?

Chapter 15

I'm not really sure what to think about this chapter. All I can think about is how Mae puts on this fake face in front of most customers except the truckers who she is genuinely happy to see because that's where they get most of their business from. I also find her questioning manner towards the "Okies" kind of comical and depicts her as having an unselfish concern about the welfare of others. I personally almost squealed at how she saw this look on the two boys' faces and kind of melted and gave them nickel candies for a penny. What I was wondering though is what was with the truckers comment after the family left? They leave a total of a dollar and then say go to hell. I'm so confused from that someone help me understand please.

Chapter 10

Ok I just finished chapter 10. Wow a lot happens in just that chapter. After about chapter 6 I found that I didn't really want to put down the book to even answer the questions. If the book keeps being this good I think I'm going to really like it. I've noticed through these past five chapters that I've read today that you are starting to really feel the pain, bitterness, sorrow, and anger that the tenant farmers have towards having to leave their homes. I also think that some of us can relate to them in some ways because some of us have had to make that big move to another place and you could see it in your parents eyes that even they weren't really sure if there was a good future where you were moving. What I want to know is what do you think of how the family hierarchy is set up because I've noticed through the words that Steinbeck chose that women didn't have much of a say but Ma had more say than most women did.

chapter 6: breaking point

I really liked chapter 6, for me it was the breaking point. I especially liked the way everything seemed so unrealistically realistic, if that makes any sense. The dialogues were so natural, natural enough that while i was reading a movie was playing in my head, not only that because that always happens but this movie was clearer than daylight, every small detail was portrayed. So far even though it was barely chapter 6, the book has been an introduction, or for lack of a better term, boring. I have no doubt that I will finish the book very quickly due to interest in what will come next all thanks to chapter 6.

Chapter 5

Okay I'm going to be honest here I started reading the book kind of late so I'm barely blogging about chapter 5 but as I've read I find it interesting how Steinbeck sets everything up. He basically gives you background knowledge into the struggles the characters will face. Also, I'm going to make an inference here based on what several people have told the tenant farmers, that a lot of the families are going to move out to California and there might be some conflict because there may not be enough work for the hundreds of families, and there could be a lot of hatred toward them from the Californians. I'd love to get you guys opinions if I could even at this late period of time in the assignment.