Grapes of Wrath

My favorite character in the novel Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and Robert DeMott was by far Tommy Joad. He is one of the main characters, and definitely one of the most influential. Tom is the first character in the story. Right off the bat the reader can see what his personality is. He is honest about why he went to prison, so he can be seen as a pretty good person. The reader can also see that he is determined when he is trying to make his way back home. Tom has been gone for awhile and he has no clue what has happened to his family for the past four years. He was not aware that the bank had kicked his family off of the land that they had lived on for generations. He is pretty easy-going, so when he realizes that the Joad family is a few miles away in their uncle's house, he simply keeps going with the friends he has made along the way. One of his friends is Casey, who used to be a preacher. The reader finds out soon that Tom Joad is very good a reading and figuring out people. As soon as they reach the house where his family is, Tom takes the place as one of the leaders of the family. It helped the Joad family to have someone else to look up to in such a time of need. Tom also becomes very handy because he, along with his little brother, is the only one who knows how to fix and operatet a car. This is a huge help because the family has to make it all the way to California on an extrememly limited budget and with only one truck. Tom is also another family member who can work and earn more money for the family. I think I appreciate Tom as a character because the only thing he does is help.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006.