Preview

Tom Joad In The Grapes Of Wrath

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
191 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Tom Joad In The Grapes Of Wrath
“The Ghost of Tom Joad” is a song about Tom Joad in the book The Grapes of Wrath. Through this song, Bruce Springsteen tells the story of Tom Joad traveling back home to Oklahoma after being released from McAlester Prison. He is like a ghost in the sense that no one has seen him in 4 years. He travels from the prison to his home in Oklahoma and on the way he runs into his former preacher Jim Casey. Tom and Jim continue on the journey to the Joad House, discussing life and everything that’s happened while Tom was in prison. Tom learns that Oklahoma is in a drought and that many families were forced to move because crops fail and there was no money to pay the banks. In the first stanza, Springsteen says, “Families sleeping in the cars in the
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Walter Lee from "A Raisin in the Sun"
    • 519 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Walter Lee from "A Raisin in the Sun"

    The play a Raisin in the Sun is a play written by Lorraine Hansberry. This story is about an African American family living in Southside Chicago. In the story, the family goes through many hardships especially when it comes to money. The Younger family lives in an overcrowded apartment which has very little room for all of them. There is a $10,000 check coming from the insurance company for Walter Lee’s dad’s death. He is the man of the house now and is determined to provide a better life for him and his family. Which he figures out at the end that money is not everything.…

    • 519 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Grapes Of Wrath: Battle Hymn Of The Republic
    • 707 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Grapes Of Wrath: Battle Hymn Of The Republic

    “So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs” (Revelations: 14:19-20). The title conjures up the final act of God for justice. In a book one of the most significant parts of it, is its title. The title The Grapes of Wrath is known as a biblical allusion; it comes from the song "Battle Hymn of the Republic", written during the Civil War along with the scripture from Revelations: 14:19-20.…

    • 707 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Chris Mccandless In Jon Krakauer's 'Into The Wild'
    • 1482 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Chris Mccandless In Jon Krakauer's 'Into The Wild'

    Into the Wild, a novel written by Jon Krakauer, reveals the journey of Christopher McCandless across the United States in search of a life that was different from what he had previously known. He set out on a journey in order to discover a way of life that was free of the material possessions his family held so dear. Chris graduated from Emory University and was described as a good student who achieved high grades, attained several academic awards and earned many accomplishments. His family seemed to have thought he would pursue graduate work and eventually had aspirations for him to become a lawyer. Throughout the novel, Chris is often described by those who knew him as a very bright and intelligent individual. He read often and used a robust vocabulary, frequently citing a wide variety of authors. Although many of the individuals he encountered on his journey were not exactly the most academically esteemed people, he was constantly characterized as being quite intellectually savvy. Although Chris was described as a bright young man, he often made decisions which severely contradicted his intelligence. There are several instances throughout his journey in which Chris makes foolish decisions that critically hurt his ability to survive in the wilderness. This paper examines these foolish…

    • 1482 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Jimmy Cross In O Brien's The Things They Carried
    • 709 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Jimmy Cross In O Brien's The Things They Carried

    O'Brien's The Things They Carried describes the many different things soldiers carried during the war. Of course they would carry items they would need to survive but not only that, they would also carry personal items. Some of the things the soldiers would carry were a little odd but would mean something to them. Ranging from Henry Dobbins' girlfriend's pantyhose to Mitchell Sanders' condoms, the unit was filled with bizarre articles that held sentimental feeling. Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, however, restricted his personal belongings to pictures and letters from Martha.…

    • 709 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Tom Brennan Journey
    • 1216 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Tom Brennan Journey

    This song gives the story of one young man who through the outbreak of war takes a new path which ultimately leads him to Vietnam fighting for his country. As is “the story of Tom Brennan” the main character experiences a fear of what lies ahead but rather than the clique fear of death and destruction which the character seems reasonably naive to it is rather a fear of the ramifications and aftermaths of an event that changes the young mans life for ever. “And I can still hear Frankie, lying screaming in the…

    • 1216 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    John Proctor In The Crucible By Arthur Miller
    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages

    John Proctor In The Crucible By Arthur Miller

    In the play, The Crucible, there are many protagonist that were distinguished throughout the play. The meaning behind the word, protagonist, is more or less around the context of being the main character, champion, or an advocate. John Proctor was the one that stood out the most. He was a protagonist behind the reasons of one; he learns to forgive himself, two; he was one of the many reasons that the Salem court stopped the witchcraft trials, and three; he is a well respected man throughout the town of Salem and respects the people in this town.…

    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Ghost of Tom Joad Video Response
    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Ghost of Tom Joad Video Response

    The beauty of the written word is that everyone can experience and interpret it in a different way with some help from writer and their purpose behind the piece. The beauty of songs is that people are free to express those individual interpretations in ways that allow them to use their voices and instruments. The beauty of video is that the makers can put these two things together and then add images and audio-texts to enhance the meaning of the song for viewers. The song “The Ghost of Tom Joad” has brought about multiple YouTube videos for this exact reason. In the video The Ghost of Toam Joad by Harveywetdog, the use of imagery definitely gave me a better sense of what this song is referencing. Nearly all of the pictures that slide across the screen were taken around the time of the Depression. Since that is the time period in which the character Tom Joad was living, this allowed me to understand the song and the lyrics in a more complete way. All the pictures of families and children frequently on the road and having nowhere to go really spoke to me about the world we live in today. It is a bit easier to feel for these people and the cause the song represents when you have a face to stick to it. It somehow makes their struggles seem more real. Harveywetdog gave me numerous faces to connect with and this only evoked more emotion in me because it causes me to really think about all of the people out there who simply want to live their lives, but are being held back due to the limits circumstance and money and society put on them. Pictures from the film The Grapes of Wrath that show Tom Joad with a quote printed on the screen also show up throughout the pictures whenever the singers say something about waiting on the ghost of Tom Joad, and they made it seem like he was there at the campfire light and was urging them to go on. I also found it very effective that Harveywetdog used actual clips of sound from the movie…

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    John Proctor - the Crucible
    • 933 Words
    • 4 Pages

    John Proctor - the Crucible

    Ultimately, John Proctor is a key part of the Crucible. His refusal to open up about Abigail’s lying (which she admits in Betty’s bedroom) allows Abigail to whip the village of Salem into a frenzy – accusing anyone and everyone of witchcraft. He is a proud and powerful man, much respected in the village. The fact he committed adultery with Abigail means she has the power to control him. Adultery is against the laws of Salem’s theocracy (as it is against the Decalogue) so, if Abigail told the village of their affair, his reputation would be destroyed which would result in him being sent to the gallows. Although his hot-headed temper and one fatal mistake makes him seem the antihero, it also provides him with the great burning passion needed to break open the truth that Abigail divulged to him: the girls were faking sickness and witchcraft is a lie. This would save those accused of witchcraft (such as Rebecca Nurse who was accused by Mrs. Putnam) – making him the protagonist. He knows that Abigail’s intention is to win him back, even if it means killing Elizabeth.…

    • 933 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Grapes of Wrath Essay
    • 1273 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Grapes of Wrath Essay

    In The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, the narrator explains how a social issue affected the Joad family. The realistic novel mimics life and offers social commentary too. It presents many windows on real life in Midwest America in the 1930s. Throughout the 1930s, America was trapped in the worst economic era ever—The Great Depression. The Joad family is struggling to find salvation during this tough time period. Because of this, they must travel from Oklahoma to California in order to start a new life. The Great Depression affected everyone in the United States, some people worse than others. Steinbeck uses several different strategies to interpret the social issue during this time period. By using the literary techniques of setting, tone/mood, and dialogue/language, Steinbeck composes a creative commentary on the Great Depression and how it affected the lives of Americans.…

    • 1273 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Grapes of Wrath
    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Grapes of Wrath

    As the Joads were on their way to California, Ma exhibits fear through her actions. She was so focused into getting into California before anyone took up the jobs. Grandma had been sick for a couple of days and Ma was the one who was taking care of her. As Grandma gradually went downhill, Ma did not tell anyone because she didn’t want to distract them from where they were suppose to get to. After Grandmas death she says, “’ I was afraid we wouln’ get acrost,’ she said. ‘I tol’ Grandma we couln’ he’p her. The fambly had to get acrost. I tol’ her, tol’ her when she was adying. We could’ stop in the desert. There was the young ones –an’ Rosasharn’s baby. I tol’ her’”(Steinbeck 228). Ma feared not being able to make it across the California border. She was afraid because the kids were in sake and also a baby in the womb. This action showed fear throughout her because it even cost a human life in order to be able to overcome it. It also showed fear because she was so set onto making it across that Grandmas life was not worth saving for, and was only getting in the way.…

    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    John Proctor in the Crucible
    • 1024 Words
    • 5 Pages

    John Proctor in the Crucible

    The main character in Salem is John Proctor, an outspoken, successful, and well-respected farmer who chooses to stay away from the church. Religious at heart, this man who has sinned openly, condemns the witch trials while hiding a secret that could ruin the main accuser, Abigail Williams. Proctor is a man full of guilt, who uses the love of his wife, and his need to take responsibility for his actions to gain the strength to openly confess his sins, denounce Abigail Williams, and save his soul.…

    • 1024 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Daisy Buchanan In The Great Gatsby
    • 697 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Daisy Buchanan In The Great Gatsby

    Daisy Buchanan is Nick's cousin and Toms wife. She lives with the rich old-money population of New York on East Egg. From Nick's first visit, Daisy is associated with otherworldliness.…

    • 697 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Johnny Cash Thesis
    • 998 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Johnny Cash Thesis

    Johnny was born during the economic crisis we now call The Great Depression. In order to keep their family sustained, Ray Cash moved the family to the Dyess Colony in Mississippi County, Arkansas (Dolan 33). The Cash family started a farm there where they grew many crops that they sold and lived on (Dolan 36). The Cash family rested on Sunday’s; this day they attended church services. The one part of service that young Johnny remembered liking vividly, is the songs the church would sing (Dolan 53). John Cash once said, “Those songs carried me away, and they gave me a taste of heavenly things” (Dolan 54). Between the hymns the church would sing, and participating in his older brother Roy’s band, Johnny Cash got his start in the music world. (“Johnny Cash” 2).…

    • 998 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Jordan Baker In The Great Gatsby
    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Jordan Baker In The Great Gatsby

    No two people are the same in the world we live. Some are different shapes and sizes; others maintain a narrow minded perspective. There are many things that differentiate human beings from one other, but Jordan Baker stands out the most. She a major character throughout the novel, and contributes to the story in the highest degree. She embodies the shallowness and arrogance of people during the 1920’s. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, Jordan Baker portrays her showy and arrogant attitude through several incidents, and gives the reader a visual of the life of people during the 1920’s.…

    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Grapes Of Wrath
    • 298 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Grapes Of Wrath

    Grapes of Wrath shouldn’t be on a list of recommendation list for high school readers. Although it is important for people to read, this piece of classic literature, it isn’t something every high school student should read. The subject matter isn’t the issue, it’s the understanding of the desperation during the time period, that’s most high school students don’t have. Many students in high school haven’t yet learned about the dust bowl, and it helps to have a basic knowledge of the time period when you read a piece of historical fiction. With information of the time, it’s easier to understand the feeling of desperation and devastating fact that many lost their livelihoods and homes. This comprehension may happen for some in high school, but this would be a better book to read in college. Then the reader would’ve gone through American history in high school and possibly a more in depth class in college. It would also be easier to understand different messages and concepts in the book. For example, when Rose of Sharon breast-feeds a starving man, it symbolic of rebirth and the prosperity that will come, along with the struggle of humanity, and how they have nothing but are so selfless to help others. This symbolism is hard to grasp as a high school student, but would be easier for a college student whom might have taken a few philosophy courses. Then they have an understanding and awareness of symbolism embedded into pieces of literature. Overall, Grapes of Wrath is important for everyone to read, but just not in high school; it should be read when the reader is older and can see the symbolism and knows the background of the time.…

    • 298 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More

Related Topics