* Chapters 1-10 (I) Biblical references in the GoW.

Bible and The Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath has many biblical allusions and many events and characters allude to pieces of the Bible. 

Joad describes the dust that attacks the Okies, "The wind grew stronger...and the sky darkened... and then each stalk settled wearily sideways toward the earth and pointed the direction of the wind" (2). 

This is similar to how plagues forced the Israelites into Exodus, "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand toward the sky...Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields...it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree" (Exod. 10:22-26)

The excerpt from the Bible is represented by the dust storms that rage through the land and destroy their homes, health, and land. Also like the hail that ruined all the fields and left bare branches. Another connection to the Bible are some of the characters. Jim Casey used to be a preacher and coincidentally his initials J.C are the same as Jesus Christ. He brings hope to the family he travels with and spends some time alone to "find himself" just as Jesus did. Another character from the Bible in the novel is Rose of Sharon. She represents rosesharn which represents regrowth and protection of her unborn child.

(reference to the bible) 

The twelve members that travel to California could represent Jesus and the 12 apostles traveling to the promised land. California is a better place and would help them prosper. The life imagined in California will make them happier and able to survive. It's imagined as being a good place, one where they could relax and a place where they would be successful. It promises a better life for their families and well-being. 

Noah represents Noah and the ark as Noah Joad "stood on the ground, looking up at the great load of them sitting on top of the truck" (113). Noah looks up admiring his work just as Noah did when he looks up at the large ark and all the animals, which are the members of the family, that were on the ark. 

The struggles of the Joad family parallel those of the Hebrews. The biblical references show how people and events that happen today were similar to those that happened long ago. They are not alone when they are struggling and someone has gone through the same situation before. We can understand why he choose certain characters and their place in the story because they represent characters from the Bible and what they accomplished. It helps us understand the Bible more as we find connections we did not know before. Using biblical allusions also adds complexity and evokes emotion. The use of the Bible shows that their problems are more than just politics and gives it a religion aspect to the story.