Analysis of Tom Joad

The main character and protagonist of the novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is Tom Joad. As the novel opens, Tom is just getting out of prison after serving over four years in prison for a manslaughter conviction. Tom immediately makes it clear that he believes that his four years in prison made him a man who devotes all his time and energy to the present moment. He says that the future is too far off for it to really concern him. Despite this philosophy, Tom is not a selfish character. Instead, his outlook on life is a kind of coping mechanism for him. Tom fears that if he looks at life with a larger view, he will drive himself mad with fear and worry and uncertainty.

However, Tom displays rare strength, moral certainty, and thoughtfulness throughout the story. He also stands up for and defends the things that he feels strongly about, as is exhibited through his work with the union. Even though he is content with taking life one day at a time, Tom seems to have too much potential for this. If he would have started looking at the big picture from the beginning, I think that the novel would have had a slightly different tone. But as the novel progesses, Tom realizes that he needs to get rid of this 'seize the day' kind of attitude and start thinking long-term so that he can better the future.

As Tom and the rest of his family, plus Jim, start their journey westwards, Tom reluctantly starts to listen to John's philosophy and preachings, becoming almost like a disciple to what John has to teach. John was a former preacher, and through his ideas and teaching he tells Tom that a single person can achieve little in life and have little effect on the world without first devoting himself to the people around him. Thanks to Jim's teachings, Tom starts to realize what his true purpose in life it. After they get to California and reunite, Tom knows that he cannot just sit back and watch people being mistreated or see the injustice of the world. The work oppurtunities in California were so competitive that Tom knew he could no longer stand taking money home to his family knowing that his small success meant another family could be so much worse off.

In the end of the novel, Tom has taken on a different plan for life. Instead of focusing only on his family and himself, he finally realizes that his purpose in life is to fight for the struggling people all around him.