Analysis of Jim Casy

In the novel The Grapes of Wrath, the character Jim Casy first seems to be simple and to the point. However, as the storyline develops, it is clear that the author did not write the character of Jim Casy to simply be a lecherous ex-preacher that Tom Joad encounters on his way home to Oklahoma after being released from jail.

If the reader looks further in Jim Casy's storyline, it becomes apparent that he is like the spiritual compass for the Joad family and for the entire book. Starting with his introduction into the novel, Casy is adamant in his beliefs, which are not unlike those of Ralph Waldo Emerson. The two share the belief that there is one giant, invisible, collective that contains the souls of all the other creatures of the world. Jim tells Tom, "Maybe men've got one big soul everybody's a part of". Throughout the novel the reader witnesses Jim putting his own personal philosophy together piece by piece, and sharing it with others.

Jim's philosophy leads him to California with the Joad family, and it is there that he gains interest in the treatment of his fellow laborers. From there, Jim decides that his true calling was not to work as a preacher, but instead to fight for equality and justice for the mistreated migrant workers in California. But his work with the unions and his fight for equality lead to Jim's death. However, even after Jim dies, his work is continued through Tom, so he did not have to die in vain.

Because of this, Jim is considered a martyr- he lived and died for his beliefs. There have been several people to compare the character of Jim Casy to that of Jesus Christ, at least in the context of the fiction novel. Jim wandered in the wilderness, developed a philosophy, and loved others so much that he wanted them to be equals and have the things they needed in life.