Byron Azizi AP English Mr. Gilden 23 October, 2011 Emerson and The Grapes of Wrath Many authors become inspired by the literary works of other authors which they have encountered in the past. John Steinbeck uses Ralph Waldo Emerson's belief of an Over-soul, a concept in which each individual's soul is spiritually interlocked and is part of a giant soul of all souls, in order to aid his characters to mature. In John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath, the migrants struggle to survive throughout the book, and the only way for the migrants to advance in life is portrayed in the beliefs of Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay The Over-Soul. Steinbeck's protagonists Tom Joad and Ma Joad recognize, with the help of Jim Casy, that a concern for human unity with an understanding of the Over-soul is far more essential to know in order to survive rather than a concern to benefit their own personal welfare. In The Grapes of Wrath, the characters transition and eventual discovery of this idea connects the Emersonian beliefs of an existing Over-soul to the growth and development of Steinbeck's characters. Prior to his development, Tom Joad, the protagonist of Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, begins the novel as self-centered, ignorant young man. After serving four years in jail for murdering another man during a drunk fight, Tom displays his selfish actions by telling former preacher Jim Casy that he would do what he'd done- again (25). When explaining the death of the man he killed, Tom, without any reluctance or signs of regret, states that he killed the man with a shovel that was just laying near him (25). The fact that Tom had no concern with telling Jim the story, and even telling it to him with out any hesitation or signs of sympathy for the man he killed displays Tom's character in the beginning of the novel. He even offered to do it again, with out regard for another mans life and the people he affected by killing that man. Guilt and shame should be blowing up Tom's head for taking another

man's life, but Tom is self-absorbed, and he could care less about that man he killed, as long as he was alright. Also, Tom's failure to understand the message Jim tries to preach to him represents his ignorance. When Casy tells Tom the story of how when one man argued that he received sour beans and low quality food, nothing happened, but when a whole group came an argued against the same topic, then something happened, for the quality of the food substantially improved. Unfortunately, when Casy asked Tom if he understood, Tom simply states, No (382). Casy cannot tell Tom what he needs to know in order to survive, but Tom must find out for himself through his own experiences. With the guidance of Jim Casy, Tom Joad eventually experiences a pivotal inner growth in which he realizes that man cannot live with the single concern for himself, but on the other hand, man must live by uniting with the other men because strength and power is a product of unity. Unfortunately, it took the death of Jim Casy for Tom to come to this realization. Throughout the whole novel, Jim tries to preach the strength and importance of human unity on society to Tom, but Tom never really understands it. Tom ends up murdering the man that police officer that murdered Jim, thus he is forced to retreat and hide in a cave where he can be protected and leave the dangers of society. Tom is able to think a lot about Casy and all the significant things that he told Tom that may have not been so significant to him while the words were being spoken. As a result of his stay in the cave, Tom is reborn into a new man with a new outtake and view on life. Tom discusses to his mother that he finally realizes that man cannot live with a selfish attitude and that man cannot live alone: Says one time he went out in the wilderness to find his own soul, an he foun he didnt have no soul that was hisn. Says he foun he jus got a little piece of a great big soul. Says a wilderness aint no good, cause his little piece of a soul wasnt no good less it was with the rest, an was whole (418). Tom no longer focuses his desires only on the present moment, for Jim has enlightened him to understand that he must begin a path to make a better future for all of humanity by working together with the rest of society. In this way, Tom becomes part of a little piece of a great big soul that

spiritually interlocks all human souls, and is able to love and work for all of mankind. Emerson's beliefs that he displayed in The Over-Soul are completely connected with Tom's understanding of Casy's sayings and beliefs following his rebirth. As divided as humans may be through their lifestyles, concepts, and ideas, everybody's soul will be united into an eternal universal beauty, according to Emerson. Toms realization that he contains a little piece of a great big soul depicts Emersons view of the Over-soul as That Unity, that Over-soul, within which every mans particular being is contained and made with all other, that common heart... (Emerson 52). In society, as different as people may be through their ideas, actions, and lives, people must all connect through their souls and work together to unite their Over-soul, as Emerson believes. Tom's comprehension of the Over-soul helps him unite all the migrant workers together against forces against them. When the migrants united to for an embankment along the river to keep their land from flooding, every family member put their community before their family because they began to realize that the power of the community spirit can supersede any other power (Steinbeck 440). This reflects Emerson's views that the more man widens the people around him, the more he can be part of a community, leading to an improvement in their life and survival. Another protagonist of The Grapes of Wrath, Tom's mother Ma Joad, has a main focus and desire to keep her family together and united, no matter what the circumstances are. During their migration to the West, the Joad's encounter many obstacles, and Ma must push the family through these obstacles in order to keep them close and together. One of these challenges was to cross the California desert while Ma's mother died in the midst of the crossing. Ma hides that Granma is dead because the fambly hadda get acrost, keeping silent the whole time while laying next to a dead corpse, for she did not want the death of a loved one to prevent them from completing their journey (228). Ma's leadership pushes the family to move forward and to overcome tremendous challenges, but Ma's will to keep her family together eventually fails, because slowly, the family disintegrates, for many family members end up dying or running away. Also in this novel, when the Joads met a group of migrant workers in

Hooverville, the migrants did not wish to work together with them or cooperate with them, they all just wanted to be left alone and not join forces with anyone. Disillusioned by their experiences, these men openly doubted the Joads optimism and kindness. This unfriendliness, combined with an intensifying scarcity of resources, makes it increasingly difficult for the Joads to honor bonds other than those of kinship. For example, when Ma Joad prepared stew to eat, she gave the food to her family first, while she was extremely reluctant to give it to the starving people surrounding her. This explains how flawed Ma Joad is, for although she is so determined for her family's life to be improved and better, she blocks out her generosity toward the larger community (255). Like her son Tom, Ma Joad is metamorphosed into a woman concerned about society rather than only her family. Ma Joad stayed in the protective cave with Tom, and once she came out as rain poured down on her, she was reborn into a new woman with new beliefs. As a result of her conversation in Tom, she realized that Tom is not the only person that needs to change, but that she needs to change too in order for her family to survive. Ma Joad changes into a community oriented lady, for in the novel she tells Mrs. Wainright, Useta be the fambly was fust. It aintt so now. Its anybody. Worse off we get, the more we got to do (445). Ma is able to understand there is something bigger than the strength of family unity, and that is humanity. Instead of having the family worry about themselves, she starts to realize that the only way for her people to succeed is by having the human race unite. Thus, towards the end of the novel, Ma allows Tom to go and have the family break up because she knows that the unity of the people is more important than the unity of the family, so she must go against her will to keep the family together and she must keep the people together. Emerson's ideas portrayed in The Over-Soul connect with Ma Joad's realization that community unity is far more important for surviving in society rather than keeping the family together. When Ma cares about the needs of strangers rather than just her family, like when she ended up giving food to the hungry people in Hooverville, she truly fulfills the Over-soul concept. We see the world piece by piece, as the sun, the moon, the animal, the tree; but the whole, of which these are shining

parts, is the soul (Emerson 52). Ma Joad was able to merge all her aspects on the world, of viewing it as piece by piece, to finally understanding that there is a large soul in which all of humanity is a part of. The reason Ma Joad fights to hold the family together is the reason why the family must worry more about the humanity on a whole, for only when people worry about the human race on the whole will the race be truly protected and will truly be able to succeed. Towards the end of the novel, Ma even agrees to let Tom leave, thus requiring the family to be broken up. She does this because she knows that the Over-soul comes before her own personal ideal of keeping her family together and she understands that every mans particular being is contained and made one with all other; that common heart, of which all sincere conversation is the worship (Emerson 52). Author's can have a tremendous impact on another author's literary works through their beliefs and ideas represented in their pieces. Through Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay The Over-Soul, John Steinbeck's character's in The Grapes of Wrath are deeply influenced by the concepts and ideas portrayed. From the lessons learned by Reverend Jim Casy to the understanding that the unity of humanity is the most powerful unity, Tom Joad and Ma Joad are both enlightened and change dramatically due to their new beliefs.