Jim Casy: The Second Coming of Christ Throughout John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, one of the main protagonists, Jim Casy, heavily resembles biblical figure Jesus Christ. Author John Steinbeck does this by taking advantage of biblical stories and by using and by relating Casy’s actions as well as his initials to Christ. To get the ball rolling, Steinbeck introduces Jim Casy as being an ex-preacher. So straight off the bat, the reader knows that Jim Casy has a religious background. Steinbeck does this to make sure that the upcoming references will be easily recognizable as those that resemble Christ, and not just some off-the-wall story. Steinbeck uses biblical stories to help exemplify Casy’s Christ-like past. “Prior to our …show more content…
“Casy does not merely want to preach God's word, but to experience life's hardship first hand alongside others--in a way Jesus did as well. To him, being just a preacher disconnects him from his parishioners; it locates him as superior, which only serves to disqualify his calling” (McCoppin). McCoppin states this as reason for Casy to drop his seemingly measly life to go on an adventure of helping the Joad family, and possibly others, survive the cruel journey to the promised land of California. Peter, author of part of the Bible, described Christ and his whereabouts throughout the New Testament. This can be observed by the line "Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,[a] not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;[b] not for shameful gain, but eagerly;” (Peter 5:2). This is mentioning how Christ lived his life, and is how Casy lived his after planning on spending the a significant amount of time with the Joads and eventually the Wilsons. Christ helped lead many people to free themselves of sin, just as Casy expels his knowledge of what he believes is to be good and bad to the people he meets on his
Just like many other authors, Cormac McCarthy uses a lot of intertextuality, or allusions in his work. These allusions are connected with many literary classics like Moby Dick and Paradise Lost etc. Many of these allusions are also connected with the Christian tradition in a direct or an indirect way. Some of the most obvious examples of these allusions can be found in both The Road, which attracted a lot of criticism, among other reasons, because of the amount of biblical allusions; and Blood Meridian which is by now a highly esteemed literary classic, but nevertheless very controversial due to its violent content. But what is the reason why McCarthy decided to implement so many allusions into his work?
Religion is a confusing and controversial subject that many people struggle with, much like John Wheelwright. A Prayer for Owen Meany expresses an honest political view of America and their military actions while telling a story of a child becoming a Christian. A little boy full of doubts about his faith meets a miracle of a child named Owen Meany and makes him his best friend. It's not his small size or high-pitched voice that makes Owen unique; it’s his fate. Through the eyes of a man named John Wheelwright we witness the events that change a skeptical little boy to a faithful Christian.
In the story Grapes of Wrath the author , John Steinbeck, includes the tale of a desert turtle crossing the street as a form of foreshadowing to the journey of the Joad family to California. The turtle’s tale opens with it crawling though the dead grass on its way to the other side of the street. This is comparable to the Joads while they were living in Oklahoma during the dust bowl because of the harsh conditions the Turtle is working though is much like the conditions the Joads are living in. Then the turtle encounters the sloped edge of the road and struggles to scale the hill much like the coming journey for the Joads. As they get further and further along their trip they get the harder it will probably get as their starting supplies and
Throughout Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath several of the chapters are spaced by intercalary chapters. Which are chapters that contain general information on comments based off of the previous chapters presented. Intercalary chapters can be seen as a distraction or a “waste of space” to some readers. But, others believe that it is a great way to clarify what has happened in the preceding chapter. I for one believe that the use of intercalary chapters have assisted in aiding me with a better understanding of the overall meaning of Grapes of Wrath.
He talks about the lives of three men, each with their own levels of morality. The first man a life that balanced the actions of good and evil. Fittingly, he was loved and hated evenly. This suggests that it is not merely enough to simply undo each wrong with a right to achieve a good life. The second man was compared to Satan, as each of his actions were forms of evil.
The idea of a character being a Christ-like figure can sometimes be unimaginable. It’s the concept itself that tends to frighten people because they may deem it a taboo topic to speak of. They believe that there can’t be any correlation between christ and the character. However, it’s the qualities of that fictional person causes them to qualify as a christ-like figure. At first, the connection won’t present itself until their personalities and qualities have been picked apart piece by piece and carefully observed.
Writing about controversial subjects can often be difficult; however Hughes executed his story, Salvation, in an intriguing manner that is suitable to all audiences and religions. In this story, the writer retells an experience from his childhood describing his journey to Jesus Christ. Discussing the complications, the main character, Hughes, faced while trying to come to Jesus is what makes the story interesting to read. On many occasions, you will read a story or watch a movie that shows the main character coming to Jesus and having an immediate and obvious realization of their Savior. For this reason, I found this story to be unique and relatable in the way that it shows a journey that countless Christians face, but you are not often granted the opportunity to read about this type of experience.
How to Read Literature Like A Professor by Thomas C. Foster is a guide to the aspiring advanced literature reader on how to analyze and understand works of literature through the eyes of an individual trained in the specialty. It aims to provide different techniques of delving in to literature in attempt to find deeper meaning within the book. After reading this book, the reader should be able to read a novel and find topics discussed in the book, and then using their knowledge find hidden meanings that add to the underlying theme of the book. In the context of the Lord of the Flies, there are many instances where the ideas discussed in Foster’s book can be found in the novel. The weather, baptism and a Christ Figure are all themes described
In “Steinbeck's Cannery Row: The Gospel According to John,” Charles L. Etheridge Jr. explains his formalist viewpoint on how Steinbeck’s biblical allusions in Cannery Row helped establish his theology. Etheridge references Steinbeck’s use of the biblical theme of light in the first section of the novel and how Steinbeck’s “objective narration” (Etheridge 2) presents itself in Cannery Row. Steinbeck also presents a straightforward biblical allusion through rendition of the Lord being in nature and balancing life. Likewise, Etheridge mentions how Steinbeck uses the tide pool in Cannery Row as a microcosm of the real world and as a metaphor for life creating other life.
John Steinbeck has been a pillar of American literature for decades. His work, especially Grapes of Wrath and The Harvest Gypsies, helped to shed light on some of the issues that plagued California, and the rest of the United States during the Great Depression. His works accentuate the theme of the importance of community, especially when those with the power to help don 't. These novels take place during the Great Depression, a time when there were very few jobs, little stability, widespread poverty, and diminished hopes for the future. This era sets the stage on which these stories take place. During these harsh times, many people turned to the government or banks for help, but they were turned down by the banks because they wanted a profit, or they bankrupted, and the government 's resources were stretched so low they could only help few people.
Through out the novel, the character of Jim Casy is vital to providing hope and a new outlook of like to the Joad family. In one sense Jim Casy could be tied to Moses who guided thousands of people out of slavery from Egypt. This could be compared to Jim Casy guiding the Joads by providing them a way out of the famine and hard times and just into California. Once the Joads get a clear picture of what they need to do he disappears, but comes back when they are once again in a dire situation. “Somebody got to take the blame.
But indeed these things are nothing; if God should withdraw his hand, they would avail no more..." This works as a counter-argument for the fact that the audience isn't currently feeling the effects of their sins and asserts that they are going to feel them eventually. Additionally, he evokes the audience's own memories. He utilizes personal experiences, both from himself and the audience. " Those that are gone from being in the like circumstances with you, see that it was so for them; destruction came suddenly upon most of them; when they expected nothing of it, and while they were saying peace and safety; now they see..."
Critically acclaimed, with over thirty novels and novellas to his name, John Steinbeck wrote in a socialist style about common pedestrians trying to make a living during the Great Depression. All of his novels contain elements of Steinbeck’s personal life and struggles, including his undeniable lack of Christian faith. While he knew about Christian ideology, was antiquated with the human condition, and even dedicated several of the themes of his books to it, he showed increasing dedication to a more naturalistic viewpoint. Many scenes and metaphors contained in his novel The Pearl pertain to nature and its malevolent qualities. Even though he does not believe in Christianity, he does include religious characters, mostly for satirical effect, as is the fact in The Pearl.
In this chapter, you are introduced to Floyd Knowles, a man the Joads meet while setting up tents for shelter, a Hooverville, as they are on the move along with many other families. Knowles warns them of how the police are treating certain groups with harassment. Casy decides to leave the Joads’ group because he insists that he is a burden to them, but decides to stay an extra day. Later, two men, one is a deputy, show up in a car to the tent settlement to offer fruit-picking jobs, but Knowles refuses which provokes the men. They try to falsely accuse him of breaking into a car lot so they can arrest him.
The farmers acknowledge that God cursed them with tragedies. This could be tied to Casy’s turmoil with his