Biblical References in Grapes Of Wrath Essay

Biblical References

What kinds of Biblical references can be seen in The Grapes of Wrath? Throughout the novel, many different major and minor Biblical references can be seen. One such example of a minor Biblical reference can be seen with Tom Joad and with his contact between the dust sprouting through his feet, symbolizing the time when Adam was created from the Earth. One other major Biblical reference can be seen with the Joad familys preparation for the flood, closely referencing the time when Noah spent his time packing up the ark with animals. Another Biblical reference that can be seen indirectly in the novel is with Jim Casey and with Jesus Christ. This allusion can be seen because Casey is symbolic to Christ in the way that he takes leadership throughout the novel, mainly with giving praise to the family. Parallel to Caseys reference with Christ, the character of Pa Joad can be viewed as a true Christian man who struggles in the world that he lives in because of the many conflicts he faces throughout his journey. Also throughout the novel, the migrant movement from Oklahoma to California can be seen as a Biblical reference to the mass Exodus of the Jews. In general, the Biblical references to the novel are significant because they emphasize the journey of the Joads to California and also because they describe the faith that is needed to sustain life and to have faith in order to survive.

In the beginning of the novel, after Tom Joad is out of the McAlester penitentiary, he is in a scene where his feet come into contact with the earth and the dust. For example, Tom works his damp feet comfortably in the hot dry dust until little spurts of it up between his toes (17). In this quote, Toms feet come into contact with the earth and the combination between the sweat on his feet and the dust of the earth cause mud to form. In a similar fashion, the Biblical character Adam is also the product of the Earth that God made because Adam was initially made from the combination of dust from the ground. This is symbolic because it shows how Tom came into direct contact with the Earth and how he was connected to the land, in the same way that Adam was. Although this reference to the Bible was minor, it mainly showed how Tom also represented the Biblical character of Adam and also how Tom easily connected to the land and the people of Oklahoma.

When the Joad family spent their time packing up for the flood, they worked their best to ensure survival. The whole family, along with the Wainwrights, prepare for the flood primarily by gathering all the things they need on a platform. In a similar fashion, the character of Noah, from the Old Testament, also spends much time packing for the flood. Noah was primarily instructed by God to save the animals and to resume human life. From Noahs experience and the Joad familys experience, we can see why it is very crucial to keep unity, work as a team in solving a problem, and to helping one another in times of hardships.

Also throughout the novel, Jim Casey can be depicted with the Biblical reference of Christ, mainly because his initials were those of Christs. Casey is not only a significant Biblical reference because of his initials but also because he led his life similar to the way Jesus led his life. In one instance, Jim Casey took the blame for Tom after Toms incident with the deputy. This experience of self sacrifice also resembles the time when Jesus sacrificed himself in the Garden of Gethsemane where he was also arrested and condemned to death. Casey also resembles Jesus because of the way that he guided the rest of the characters in the book and the way that he influenced them to advocate for change and to not give in to authority. In this case, Casey urged the family not to give in to the authority of the Californians and the deputies. Jim Casey also taught the other characters to seek change in life and to make the best of situations. Even after Casey died, he still left his legacy for characters to remember and still influenced the familys hearts and minds.

Along with Caseys reference to Jesus Christ, Pa Joad can be seen as a typical Christian man who struggles to survive in the world he lives in. Since Pa and Jim Casey are very close to each other, their relationship is similar to the relationship between man and Christ. Because Jim Casey gives advice to everyone, Pa retains the advice and does his best to help his family survive their struggles. The same case goes with Christians because they also turn to Christ for guidance and love when they face times of hardship during their lifetime. For the main part, these two characters display the ongoing relationship between man and God and the love that both characters have towards each other, parallel to the love that man and God give and receive from each other.

All throughout the novel, one of the biggest Biblical references deals with the whole mass movement from Oklahoma to California. This obvious reference can be linked with the Biblical story of the mass Exodus of the Jews from Egypt to Israel. Since the Jews left Egypt to find the hidden fruit (milk and honey) in Israel, the Oklahomans leave Oklahoma to search for the scent of peaches and oranges in the foothills of California. Since the Joads were not content with what they had in Oklahoma, they decided to move to California in search of a better life and to fulfill their desires. In the novel, Steinbeck quotes how many families, lived on a little piece of land, who had lived and died on forty acres, had eaten or starved on the produce of forty acres, now had the whole west to rove in. This quotation basically describes the Joads plight through the desert and also describes the plight of the Israelites. Although the Joads are not really able to fulfill their dream of buying a little white house, they still had much hope in making a living in California and worked to their best abilities to merely survive life.

In essence, the many Biblical references throughout the novel are particularly used to portray some specific reference to the Bible and other Biblical texts or to represent the development of the characters and the plot. Since the novel alludes to the Bible, the reader can understand that the book has does more than just tell a story but indeed weaves a story and implements moral values that aim to describe the life of an almost hopeless family that aimed to make the best of its life. Throughout the novel, the many Biblical references show how there was still hope despite the tough situations that each character went through and why there were reasons for the family to keep moving forward.