Character Progression In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath

What Steinbeck Gets Right About Character Progression

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is one of the most revered books in the history of American literature. This novel has gotten praise for its realistic setting and characters. In a novel character progression is one of the most important elements. This is an aspect that can make or break your novel. After all, why sift through hundreds of pages if the characters do not develop in a meaningful way? Steinbeck nails progression in most of his characters throughout the novel. Although some characters develop more than others the protagonists develop the most. Out of all of them Tom Joad grows the most as a character in my eyes.

First off let us start off at Tom’s roots. “I ain’t huffy. It’s jus’ sompin thtat happened” (p.72). Before the events of the novel Tom got into a deadly fight that ended with him killing a man. Although this was an act of self defense the event serves as a beginning to analyze Tom’s character. From the beginning of the novel you can sense Tom’s relatively lighthearted attitude. Additionally, in the beginning he is not that worried about the possibility of not being able to go to California with his family.

Grandpa’s death is one of the events that catalyzes Tom’s growth. From him leaving some scripture on the note to helping bury grandpa you can see Tom maturing as a man. To add on, Tom’s speech starts to sound as if he is taking influence from Casy, speaking more intelligently and philosophically. Although Tom is more a man of action compared to Casy’s observatory nature. Throughout the novel you can see Casy’s influences on