Grapes of Wrath Biblical Allusions
Biblical allusions are prominent in John Steinbeck's, The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck uses the protagonist, Tom Joad, and ex-preacher Jim Casy to symbolize Christ-like figures throughout the book. The family is often used to represent a people or specific persons in the Bible. The journey that the Joads embark upon itself is a symbol from the Bible. The biblical symbolism that is present throughout The Grapes of Wrath greatly enhances the meaning of the story through development of characters and plot. In the book, Jim Casy becomes a savior figure to the other characters. Casy demonstrates this identity when he takes the blame for Tom and is ultimately murdered for preaching his views. He also parallels Christ because he dies as a martyr, preaching his cause. He shows his unselfishness by emphasizing many times that the injured woman needs medical attention, just as Jesus thought of others before himself. As Christ said to his murderers, "You know not what you do," Jim tells the deputies, "You don't know what you're doin'," as they arrest him. Tom Joad also shows his unselfishness by deciding not to stay with his family in the end of the
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 792
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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