"the twenty families became one family, the children were the children of all. The loss of home became one lose, and the golden time in the West was one dream...the twenty were one" (193).
Much of their moral values and beliefs have changed as they go along Highway 66 into California. Before their journey, the family kept to themselves and worried about each other and no one else. They seemed to not have noticed anyone around them and were in this personal family bubble. The Joad family was focused on selling what they could and getting money so they could go westward. It was, as the familiar phrase goes, "every man for himself". They had no money and struggled to live everyday so they needed to focus all their efforts on surviving and helping out their own family. All the other families that were going through a rough time did not matter to them. The change does not happen instantly but as they go along the highway things begin to change.
As they embark on their journey they start to realize that coming together and being united with benefit them more whereas being separate and alone will not do them as much good. They were reluctant to bring Jim Casey onto the trip before but thought he could be useful, so they brought him along. Everyone has the common goal of getting to California and achieving the "American Dream". Everyone cares for each other and whatever emotions one feels the rest feel the same. Being together and having a common goal unites people and gets them to work together. Also, in order to survive they need to stick together. Together means safer and more likely to survive. This concept of helping others out in any condition reveals that humans have empathy or are seeking to receive a reward. In the end, it benefits all parties involved and provides satisfaction to ones conscience or socially, to others.
Before the trip, the Joad family wanted to stick together and wanted to be in California together but as their journey become harder because of the conditions the family begins to fall apart. First of all, grandpa dies and then grandma dies. When they reach the desert in California, Noah sees all the water and wants to live their and fish for the rest of his life and the family decide to let him stay because he does not seem to change his mind and they have to leave the Wilson's behind. The changes are not sudden anymore because people have to leave/want to leave and their ideals of family sticking together slowly begins to crumble. Ma is the one who stays strong, who believes in family togetherness, but it begins to take a toll on her but refuses to show it.
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