Although they may seem disconnected at first, many
of the major and minor characters in The
Grapes of Wrath complement one another beautifully. Jim Casy and the truck
driver – both of whom are introduced in the novel’s beginning chapters - are no
exception to this charge.
The truck driver represents the clash between
capitalism and innate human kindness. Although the truck’s sign reads No Riders, the driver gives Tom Joad, a
total stranger, a ride anyway. In doing so, he displays the altruistic behavior
of humans during the miserable conditions of the Dust Bowl and the Great
Depression. Yes, the unnamed truck driver is suspicious of Tom, but that
suspicion is overruled by the pity he feels for this stranger. Moreover, the
action of truck driving serves as a metaphor for the steady, relentless nature
of the dust and heat during the Dust Bowl. The driver chews as “rhythmically,
as thoughtfully as a cow” (Chapter 2), thus mimicking the dull, perpetual
motion of the truck and dust.
Now, Jim Casy’s pensive wandering is a strong juxtaposition
to the truck driver’s forward motion on the highway. Jim wistfully explains to
Tom that even turtles have the intention of “goin’ someplace. Me – I don’t know
where I’m goin’” (Chapter 4). In doing so, Jim implies there are the two
options for people who have lost everything to the Dust Bowl, like Jim and Tom
have: 1. Do not leave your land and stay stuck, wandering, in your past. 2.
Choose to move tirelessly forward/westward in search of opportunity.
Furthermore, Jim serves as the novel’s Scapegoat (by
definition, a sacrificed animal or human who takes on the sins and punishment
for others). In this way he is closely linked to the “martyr” archetype or Jesus
figure that appears often in literature. The first, and most obvious, piece of evidence
for this is that Jim Casy and Jesus Christ share the same initials. Jesus began
his mission after a period of withdrawal into the wilderness for meditation and
consecration; Jim parallels this action when he leaves preaching, wanders the
wild country, and muses over traditional ideas of God, holiness, and sin
(Chapter 4). Also like Jesus, Jim Casy takes upon himself the sins of others.
The pivotal moment – the moment that cements Jim’s
role as the “spiritual martyr” of The
Grapes of Wrath – is when Jim sacrifices himself when Tom is about to be
arrested. Between the policemen, Jim “sat proudly, his head up and the stringy
muscles of his neck prominent. On his lips there was a faint smile and on his
face a curious look of conquest” (Chapter 20).
Finally, Jim plays the part of Jesus when he rejects
an old religion and tries to replace it with a new gospel. The rejection occurs
when Jim recalls the days when he would preach Christianity. He is frustrated
with the traditional principles of sin and guilt that made him feel wicked and
despicable when he slept with women. Entirely fed up with traditional virtues,
Jim exclaims, “The hell with it! There ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue.
There’s just stuff people do. It’s all part of the same thing” (Chapter 4). Instead
of simply talking about his frustration, Jim takes definitive action by
replacing the religion he has rejected with one he has devised himself. Jim
Casy’s new religion is an interpretation of Ralph Emerson’s concept of an
‘Oversoul.’ It states that God exists in the soul of each person, and that the
souls of all people are connected in the “Holy sperit…the human sperit”
(Chapter 4). Casy knows that these ideas defy traditional worship. Though he
halts his career and lifestyle as a preacher, Jim continues to spread his
teachings of transcendentalism, humanism, and socialism.
No comments:
Post a Comment