The Grapes of Wrath

676 Words3 Pages
“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say “once said by Italo Calvino. The Grapes of Wrath is one of the classic books that we can’t stop talking about it. One of the points that make John Steinbeck’s novel a timeless novel is its allusion. The allusion in the novel not only shows why Jim Case is a symbol of Jesus Christ, enhances the value of the novel but also conveys John Steinbeck’s desires to the society. John Steinbeck subtly gives his character a special name Jim Casy with the initials J.C to relate him with Jesus Christ. Jesus struggles with his life’s purpose (Matthew 26: 36-46) while Casy struggles with his belief. Throughout the entire story, Jim Casy always carries with him a wilderness, a struggle about the lives of people out there. He gives up his ministerial position and goes on a venture in order to regain his belief. Casy and Christ both have a “soul-search “. “ All that’s holy, all that’s what I didn’ understand’. All those things are the good things” (94; ch.10). Like Jesus, Casy wants to protect his fellow human being. At the Hooverville, when Tom is overcome by his anger and hit the police , Jim Casy turns himself in to save Tom , it’s a metaphor to when Jesus gets arrested in the Garden of Gethsemene ( Matthew 26 : 47-56). Although Casy has given up his preaching, but Casy always incisively spread his faith and lighten the ways for people like how Jesus teaches his disciples and guides people through difficulties. “Maybe I can preach again. Folks out lonely on the road, folks with no lan’, no home to go to. They got to have some kind of home” (56, ch.6). Life is rough, time is hard and people need something to believe in, that is connotation of “home” John Steinbeck gives to us. The Christ allusion enhances the work’s meaning and puts the novel out of a normal novel’s limit. It helps the novel to connect with
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