In John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck uses several characters and state of affairss to symbol something greater. The character. Jim Casy. is portrayed as an allegorical figure that represents Jesus Christ. Casy’s ideals and beliefs are really similar to those of Jesus Christ. Jim Casy is used to stand for Jesus Christ. and to give the people traveling through a difficult clip a glance of hope and strength. Steinbeck portrays Jim Casy as Jesus Christ. The first noteworthy comparing between them would be their initials. Both Jesus Christ and Jim Casy have the same initials.
They besides both have a strong love for humanity and saw the good in people. Jim Casy Lashkar-e-Taiba people around him know that it shouldn’t be God that they should tilt on. but on each other. In the novel. he says. “It’s love. I love people so much I’m tantrum to break. sometimes. ” ( 23 ) This showed that Casy wanted people to tilt rely on each other. He believed that people fighting together was by far better than one individual fighting entirely. Both Jesus Christ and Jim Casy go to the wilderness to acquire their ideas and beliefs together. Casy’s chief end was to happen the significance of “holy” .
Casy tells the Joad household. “An’ I went into the wilderness like Him. without no campin’ material. ” ( 81 ) While in the wilderness. Jim Casy realizes that sanctum is when world is united as 1. He believed that every individual was merely one piece of a cosmopolitan psyche and that people could merely be holy if they were united. Both Jesus Christ and Jim Casy besides sacrificed themselves to protect others. Tom Joad. who already committed the offense of interrupting his word and go forthing Oklahoma. knocked out a deputy. He was so immediately put in the danger of traveling back to prison.
Jim Casy altruistically offers to take the incrimination and travel to imprison alternatively of Tom so that Tom would be able to take the household. Last. both Jesus Christ’s and Jim Casy’s beliefs are spread after their deceases. When Jim Casy is viciously murdered. Tom Joad vows to distribute Casy’s beliefs onto more people. Jesus Christ and Jim Casy portion many similarities. a few being in their names. their love for humanity. their wilderness experiences. and their forfeits. Steinbeck portrays Jim Casy as Jesus Christ in order to demo that people working together will give them trust and strength.
Steinbeck sends the message that people must ever look towards a brighter hereafter and lodge together. He says. “But when they’re all workin’ together. non one chap for another chap. but one chap sort of harnessed to the hole shebang-that’s sanctum. ” ( 81 ) Although the Okies were being driven off their land. Casy worked difficult to acquire the people to work together. One of the many ways Casy reaches out to people is by taking the incrimination and traveling to imprison alternatively of Tom. By making so. Tom was able to transport on with his journey and steer his household every bit good.
This gave people the inducement to get down working together and trusting on each other. Casy urgently wanted to give his people some hope and spirit that would let them to look towards a brighter hereafter. Casy says. “I got ta see them folks that’s gone out on the route. I got a feelin’ I got to see them. They gon na necessitate aid no sermonizer can give ‘em. ” ( 52 ) Casy knew that his intent in life was to assist those people in demand. Therefore. he took every chance he could to assist. He organized a group of migrators to picket outside a Prunus persica picking cantonment.
By working together. the migrators managed to maintain sensible rewards for their work. Even though he knew the hazards of traveling to imprison if there was of all time a leader. he still did non halt contending for his people. Jim Casy fought for his people till decease. His message. nevertheless. remained alive and touched the Black Marias of many of the Okies. Before Tom leaves his female parent. he says. “But I know now a chap ain’t no good entirely. ” ( 418 ) This showed that Casy was successful in distributing his message. He was able to do Tom recognize the importance of a community during despairing times.
Though Tom was merely one individual. he was certain that his people would shortly acquire his message. Steinbeck portrays Jim Casy as Jesus Christ in order to stress the importance of integrity in a community and besides to give people adequate hope and strength to let them to transport on. Jim Casy is a symbol of Jesus Christ. He is used to give his fellow people hope and strength by working together. He has several similarities with Jesus Christ in his life and even in his decease. His beliefs and thoughts provide hope and strength for those in demand. Steinbeck used Jim Casy to give the Okies some spirit to transport on and look frontward to a brighter hereafter.
