Thursday, January 11, 2007
Chapter 17
This chapter, along with the preceding ones, deals with the Joad's journey to California. This journey is often compared to the exodus from Egypt as written in the Old Testament. List and explain the significance of one other Biblical allusion from the first 20 chapters (you can do a goggle search to help you with this one if you need to but be sure to do the explanation in your OWN words). Do not repeat anyone else's answer. Be sure to include the chapter and page number where your allusion may be found.
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When Tom Joad returns to his family after being in jail for four years, he is thankfully received. This can be considered an allusion Jesus' parable of the prodigal son. In the parable, the boy leaves with his share of his father's inheritance. After a great while the boy staggers home poor and desperate. The father gives him a giant feast for his unexpected return. Upon Tom's return the family sat down and ate.
This is in chapter 8 on pages 104-105.
Chapter seven which starts on page 83 is very similar to the story of the money changers in the temple in which Jesus flung tables and caused a mess. To worship in the temple you had to pay a small offering. Many people were poor foreigners so the money changers, would take that persons money and exchange it for temple money. These money changers exchanged the coinage at a very high loss rate for the traveler and the money changers also charged a fee for the service. The salesmen in the chapter are also making a huge profit off of very poor people.
In chapter 8, on pages 104-105, Tom's return is like the return of Jesus.
When Jesus returned, nobody believed that it was him unless they had true faith, then they believed it was him. There were others who would could not believe it.
When Tom returned home, the family could hardly believe it. At first they asked him if he broke out of jail. When they realized it was really Tom, they celebrated.
In chapter eight, beginning on page 10 when Jim Casy is praying he parallels with Jesus. In the New Testament when Jesus is younger, he is trying to figure out why God chose him, and what his purpose is on earth. Although Jesus discovers he was sent to heal, and sacrifice his life for God, Jim Casy is a lot like him when he prays for the family. In his prayer he questions who he's praying to, why he should be praying, and how he can't figure out what to do in life because he doesn't feel he is fit to preach, without knowing the real answers.
As the Joad family is getting ready to leave they slaughtered the pigs and was salting them down. Ma was doing the work till Casey says he can do it. (Pg 146 Chapter 10) He like Jesus was willing to do the work to help others while most people would not.
Throughout The Grapes of Wrath, the Joad family is constantly dealing with struggles. These struggles range from getting kicked off their property (Ch. 6, pg. 46) to Grampa dying on their journey to California (Ch. 13, pg. 138). However, even with these struggles, the family has faith. Due to these constant struggles, the Joad's can be related to the Book of Job in the Old Testament. In the Book of Job, the recurring theme is the testing of people's faith through struggle. As the story goes, God is visited by Satan and God asks him if he as seen his servant, Job. Eventually, God goes on to let Satan test Job so long as Job is not harmed physically. Job is then faced with many problems and struggles but through it all, he keeps his faith. Therefore, the Joad family can be related to Job.
Note: My book is not one issued by the school, therefore the page numbers may not line up perfectly to other books.
When the Joad's load their truck, it is simliar to when Noah loads his arc. They are simliar because the Joad's were having to pack everything they could, which reminds me of Noah packing the animals into his arc.
The bible quotes Jesus as claiming "the meek shall inherit the earth." This is one of Steinback's continuing themes throughout his novel. Most notably in chapter 14, Steinback has romaniticized the downtrodden selecting them as his noble hero. He alludes to future uprise wherein the destitude overthrow their cruel rich masters to establish a peaceful order.
Throughout the entire novel Jim Casy was a Christ figure. His initials, J.C., illustrate the parallelism between the two. In chapter 4, when we first meet Casy, he is carelessly singing hymns. Casy sings, “Yes, sir, that’s my Saviour, Je-sus is my Saviour,” Before meeting this character Steinbeck eludes to the Bible, and Christianity. Jim Casy is an ex-preacher, one that has gone astray. He refers to his sin of taking “one of them girls out in the grass... an' ...layin’ with her." (pg. 29 Ch. 4) He also brings up the idea of the Holy Spirit not being real, but one relying on human spirit. This shows the parallel between Christ and Casy because each one had ideals that they believed in and shared with others that were radical at the time.
Chapter Two (pages 10, 11, 12), when the truck driver stops to pick up Tom Joad, I am reminded of the story of the Good Samaritan. The trucker "inconvieninces" himself to help Joad, as the Good Samaritan does in the Bible. He could have passed up the opportunity to help out as others may have, but he chose to contribute to the good of the world.
Casey can be compared to Jesus on page 362 when he sacrifices himself. Tom harmed a cop, and Casey let himself go in his place saying “Somebody got to take the blame.” Just as Jesus sacrificed himself for the sins of others, Casey sacrificed himself for the crimes of Tom.
The Joad family is originally made up of twelve people. This could be compared to the twelve disciples, and possibly Casy as the allusion to Jesus in this same example. Of the twelve, Connie is not truly a part of the family because he is not connected through blood. He could be compared to Judas the betrayer in that he cares more about himself than the wellbeing of the family.
I cannot give a specific page number, but the whole book is based upon a very familiar Biblical allusion: the hair of Samson. The Joad family's farm is their lock of hair, and when it is taken away, they are crippled and left helpless, forcing them to wander to somewhere else to pursue some sort of fortune. However, they must do this without their greatest strength-their farm. Because the businesses took the farm from the Joads, it could also refer to the story of Samson and Delilah, where Samson would symbolize the farmers and Delilah would symbolize the banks and businesses. The farmers were strong and meaningful, but when the businesses took their source of strength, they were weakened entirely.
Chapter six (pgs. 54 to 82 on school-issued copy) introduces the man called Muley. He is a former preacher of God who has found himself not being able to believe in God. This fallen faith creates Muley into a direct archetype of Satan, the fallen angel himself.
This allusion is supported in how they both "fell" from grace. Muley could no longer trust in his faith of God and refused to be a warrior any longer. Satan, flat out refused to believe in all of the plans God had and immediately fell into disgrace as the ruler of Hell.
Chapter six (pgs. 54 to 82 on school-issued copy) introduces the man called Muley. He is a former preacher of God who has found himself not being able to believe in God. This fallen faith creates Muley into a direct archetype of Satan, the fallen angel himself.
This allusion is supported in how they both "fell" from grace. Muley could no longer trust in his faith of God and refused to be a warrior any longer. Satan, flat out refused to believe in all of the plans God had and immediately fell into disgrace as the ruler of Hell.
The imagery of the Joad family loading all of their belongings into their vehicle to head west towards better times is an allusion to Noah and the arc and the journey away from sin. Even though the Joad family is not dodging sinful behavior, they are still moving towards purity in attempt to start over.
Although the situation of the Joad family as a whole is often compared to that of the Hebrews, a look at Tom's situation specifically provides a huge allusion. The three main stages of revolution for the Egyptians were captivity, the journey and the promised land. Tom was held captive in a literal sense, through prison, and in a figurative sense, through the wealthy banks and corporations. The journey to California provides several interpretations of the promised land, first in the idealistic idea of California as a holy place, where the poor are automatically alleviated of their poverty. Furthermore, even those who aren't saved from their situation and die as a result of disease and dust can seek the promised land in death, such as Grandma. There isn't a specific page number for this idea, but rather it is an overriding metaphor, not isolated to one page.
As the Hebrews were suffering in slavery in Egypt they would dream about God's Promised Land. Many thought of it as a vivacious, plentyful, and holy land. Through out the book up until about Chapter 19 all families including the Joad family thought of California as the "Promised Land." They were hoping to soon be entering a world that would weaken their misery. Grandpa also had Dreams of him stuffing his face with grapes similar to the book of Numbers saying that the people following moses to the Promised Land found Grapes that were large and delicious.
When Jim Casy talks about going out and searching for answers. This is an allusion to Jesus's time in the wilderness. Both men are thinking for what's the point to religion and so they set off to get a clear understanding. This is in chapter 4 along with 8.
In The Grapes of Wrath, there are many examples of people helping other people, especially poor people. Chapter seventeen is an example of people helping poor people. The migrant people would stick together and feed the people with no food, or people who needed help in other ways because of the lack of money. The Joad family help the Wilson’s in many ways, like when they buy the Wilson’s the car part to keep heading west. Sirach 3, 30 and Sirach 4 of the Old Testament explains to people that we should help the poor. This section of the Bible teaches people to share their possessions and to not turn your back on people who are in need. I think the passage is a good example of the Joad family and also other families.
The portion of the novel when Noah leaves the family and stays in the area near the river is another biblical allusion within the book. The image of him walking away down the river is in chapter eighteen on page 284 and is an allusion to Moses leading the way in the Red Sea, and possibly also the miracle of Jesus walking on water.
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