The Grapes of Wrath

Paper Summary:

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the book "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck. Specifically it compares two songs to the character of Tom Joad in the book, who is the main character of this historic and classic novel, and he is the inspiration to the other characters around him. He is also the subject of two very different songs written by Woody Guthrie and Bruce Springsteen, which celebrate his integrity and sense of right and wrong, no matter the cost to himself.

From the Paper:

"Early in the book, Tom proves he is a leader - the real leader of the family although the older men will never acknowledge it. Steinbeck writes, "Tom broke in, 'We'll be moonin' aroun' all day, looking for sompin to do.' The group stirred uneasily. 'We could get ready by daylight an' go," Tom suggested" (Steinbeck 105). Tom is not educated, but he is smart, and the Joads listen to him because he has good ideas, reasons them out, and inspires confidence. In his soul, he is a good, decent man, even though he murders two men by the end of the book. Both of the songs show Joad's character with some of the closing lines of the novel. In "The Ghost of Tom Joad," Springsteen writes, "Now Tom said 'Mom, wherever there's a cop beatin' a guy / Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries / Where there's a fight 'gainst the blood and hatred in the air / Look for me Mom I'll be there'" (Springsteen). Tom is a hero even though he is a murderer, which proves that you cannot always believe everything you hear about a person, and that you must understand the circumstances surrounding an incident."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Guthrie, Woody. "The Ballad of Tom Joad." Personal Web Page. 2008. 11 March 2008. <http://www.xs4all.nl/~maroen/engels/lyrics/baloftom.htm>
• Springsteen, Bruce. "The Ghost of Tom Joad." BruceSpringsteen.net. 2003. 11 March 2008. <http://www.brucespringsteen.net/songs/TheGhostOfTomJoad.html>
• Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin Books, 2002.

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