It wouldn't have been enough for Steinbeck to simply document the strife that faced these families in very plain terms, for anyone could have simply logged an account of events and published it. Rather, he needed to draw us in with emotional content, to do these families justice. Critics have argued that Steinbeck was too artificial in his ways of trying to gain some respect for the migrants. But, regardless of the critical opinions, John Steinbeck utilized 3 profound areas of symbolism as a forum to convey the spirits and attitudes of the citizens of America, who in his eyes, it seems, faced the worst of The Grapes of Wrath.

The first aspect of the novel that must be looked at when screening its symbolic content, is that of the characters created by Steinbeck and how even the smallest f

Next, Steinbeck uses each major event to exhibit the kindness of the human spirit. A main example here is when the waitress in the cafe lets the poor migrant have a free loaf of bread just to continue his journey. She is then rewarded with two big tips from the next customers, who are truckers that come through to eat. In this event, "kindness breeds kindness" (Carlson, 97). Another occasion is when Rose of Sharon takes care of the old man in the barn. She ends up symbolically gaining a child where before she had lost her own. These instances not only demonstrate that kindness of the human spirit, they lend a hand in keeping the bigger picture of remaining humble and obedient to Christian principles visible, including that of the Golden Rule, as key to this family's mental, if not financial, survival.

Further emphasizing the symbolic character front, the women in this story become pictures of the mentality of the "indestructible woman." The greatest exemplar of this is the family matriarch, Ma Joad. "Ma Joad stands out in Steinbeck's work as a complete and positive characterization of a woman" (Cannon, 118). She is the only character in the novel that appears to be flawless on every level, not just as someone who does monotonous chores throughout the story. She stands as a shining image of a woman who refuses to back down, no matter what the obstacles at hand. Some of those obstacles included Grandma's death, the desertion of Noah, the leaving behind of the Wilson's followed by Connie's departure, the murder of Casy, Tom becoming a fugitive, Rose of Sharon's baby being stillborn, and being surrounded by starvation and depression. She summons all of her strength and willpower to help cope with these tragedies. Her undying strength and love comes to light as she helps keep the family together, even if that means giving every ounce of spirit and energy that she has. Steinbeck creates her as that indestructible woman because he wants to convince the migrants of the 1930's to follow in her footsteps, and ultimately, mirror the journey of the entire Joad family. Warren French explains directly what Steinbeck's aim with having the characters, especially Ma Joad, develop the way they do throughout the novel:

Sillen, Samuel Censoring The Grapes of Wrath pp.3-7

Another aspect of Steinbeck's character symbolism comes in the form of Jim Casy, a man undoubtedly more religious than anyone else on the journey to a better place. He is the preacher picked up along the way by the Joad's and Steinbeck manages to squeeze in a lot of background about his character. And, much of the background he creates about Mr. Casy shows us what a biblical man he really is supposed to be. So much so, that Steinbeck seems to use Casy as a symbol of Christ Himself. Oddly enough, his initials were not only the same as Jesus Christ's, but also much of his life parallels the biblical accounts of Christ. Not only did he too begin his long trek after a sojourn in the wilderness, he also had rejected an old religion to try and find his own version of the Gospel and convince people to follow him. Even his death mirrored an aspect of Christ's story, occurring in the middle of a stream, resembling the "crossing over Jordan" account in the Bible. "Particularly significant, however, are Casy's last words directed to the man who murders him" (De Schweinitz, 103,104). His last words are to forgive the man who kills him with a Pickaxe. He tells him "You don't know what you're a-doing." In this we are reminded of Christ's own words at His crucifixion when He says, "forgive them for they know not what they do." In fact, even the title of this novel alludes to Christian imagery. The title is "a direct Christian allusion, suggesting the glory of the coming of the Lord" (Carpenter, 80).

So the use of symbolic content goes. Although Steinbeck created this highly acclaimed world of symbolism, it is not without its faults, at least according

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Approximate Word count = 3255
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)