foreshadowing in the grapes of wrath
In John Steinbeck’s proletarian novel, The Grapes of Wrath, he uses foreshadowing to characterize Casy, Tom, and Ma. Foreshadowing is when events hint to the future. By using foreshadowing to characterize, it helps the reader understand the novel.
Steinbeck uses foreshadowing to characterize Casy in two ways. Casy says “I got the call to lead the people, but no place to lead ‘em” (29). He says this because he was once a preacher, but he quit. He has the instincts of a natural leader and has public speaking skills. Casy also talks about his theory that “maybe all men got one big soul ever’body’s got a part of” (33). This shows his religious side of him and his idea everyone has.
Steinbeck also uses foreshadowing to characterize Tom in two ways. One way is when Tom manipulates the truck driver into giving him a ride by telling him that “sometimes a guy’ll be a good guy even if some rich bastard makes him carry a sticker”(11). Tom uses guilt to manipulate him, which implies he has strong interpersonal knowledge. Another is after the trucker protests that he wasn’t being nosy, Tom becomes blunt about giving him specifics to his past, then tells him “when you been in stir a little while, you can smell a question comin’ from hell to breakfast”(19). This show what Tom learned in jail and how his interpersonal skills would make him a good leader.
Lastly, Steinbeck uses foreshadowing to characterize Ma in two ways. Ma’s “strong, freckled arms were bare to the elbow, and her hands were chubby and delicate” (100) is a metaphor for her being physically strong but emotionally sensitive, which shows she is a natural, caring mother. Steinbeck also portrays her as the one “to know, to accept, to welcome her position, the citadel of the family, the strong place that could not be taken” (100). Ma’s description here shows that she will be the one to help and comfort her family when they need it most.
Based on the foreshadowing Steinbeck uses to characterize these characters,
Steinbeck uses foreshadowing to characterize Casy in two ways. Casy says “I got the call to lead the people, but no place to lead ‘em” (29). He says this because he was once a preacher, but he quit. He has the instincts of a natural leader and has public speaking skills. Casy also talks about his theory that “maybe all men got one big soul ever’body’s got a part of” (33). This shows his religious side of him and his idea everyone has.
Steinbeck also uses foreshadowing to characterize Tom in two ways. One way is when Tom manipulates the truck driver into giving him a ride by telling him that “sometimes a guy’ll be a good guy even if some rich bastard makes him carry a sticker”(11). Tom uses guilt to manipulate him, which implies he has strong interpersonal knowledge. Another is after the trucker protests that he wasn’t being nosy, Tom becomes blunt about giving him specifics to his past, then tells him “when you been in stir a little while, you can smell a question comin’ from hell to breakfast”(19). This show what Tom learned in jail and how his interpersonal skills would make him a good leader.
Lastly, Steinbeck uses foreshadowing to characterize Ma in two ways. Ma’s “strong, freckled arms were bare to the elbow, and her hands were chubby and delicate” (100) is a metaphor for her being physically strong but emotionally sensitive, which shows she is a natural, caring mother. Steinbeck also portrays her as the one “to know, to accept, to welcome her position, the citadel of the family, the strong place that could not be taken” (100). Ma’s description here shows that she will be the one to help and comfort her family when they need it most.
Based on the foreshadowing Steinbeck uses to characterize these characters,