Character Analysis Of Tom Joad In The Grapes Of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath is widely thought of as the best piece of American literature. The book follows Tom Joad and his development as a character. Over the course of the book, Tom develops from a selfish and rude person to a considerate and noble one.
At the beginning of the book, Steinbeck portrays Tom as selfish and rude. In chapter two, Tom asks a truck driver for a ride. At first the truck driver says no, because he could lose his job if caught with a rider because of his company’s no-riders policy. Tom replies, “Sometimes a guy’ll be a good guy even if some rich bastard makes him carry a sticker.” The driver feels trapped into giving Tom a ride. If he does not give Tom a ride, he is “One whom any rich bastard could kick around,” whereas

When Tom is talking with his mother for the last time in the book, she offers him $7. Even though the money could alleviate many future problems for Tom, Tom replies, “I ain’t gonna take it”. Although Tom doesn’t specifically say so, through this quote he implies that he does not want to take the money because he knows it could greatly help his family. Tom’s rejection of his mother’s offer is the quintessence of a considerateness, one’s own sacrifice for the greater good of others. An additional example exhibiting Tom’s considerateness occurs when he meets his mother for the last time in the book. He tells her that she should not have come because if she is seen with Tom, the “Whole fambly’d be in a jam.” Although he would have liked to talk to his mother, Tom says this out of concern for his family. The fact that Tom’s concern for his family trumps his personal desires displays his considerateness. The best illustration of Tom’s nobility takes place before and during the “I’ll be there” speech. He says to his Mother, “An’ I been wonderin’ if all our folks got together an’ yelled, like them fellas yelled.” Here, Tom is talking about his desire to help ignite a revolt against the rich and corrupt in order help the hundreds of thousands of destitute people. When Tom’s mother raises the question of what if he dies, Tom responds that “It don’ matter.” Tom is saying that he would be willing to die in order improve the lives of the impoverished immigrants. The fact that Tom is willing to die trying to alleviate the squalor in which the migrants live shows that Tom is extremely