Custom essays: Jim Casey in the novel by John Steinbeck “The Grapes of Wrath”.

Jim Casey is one of the characters in the novel by John Steinbeck “The Grapes of Wrath”. He is a former preacher, who lost his faith after some adultery with his church members. In the novel this character plays the role of moral philosophy bearer.
Jim Casey in “The Grapes of Wrath”
There are many Biblical overtones in the novel. The author provides some parallels between the philosophy of early Christianity and socialism. The voice of the author’s moral in the novel is Jim Casey. It is impossible to miss the fact that the former preacher realizes the image of Jesus Christ, and his initials, his thorny life way and his final martyrdom show this. On the one hand, Steinbeck reminds his readers that Jesus Christ always preferred sufferers and outcasts. On the other hand, Jim Casey and his philosophy supported the internal transformation of Tom Joad, from the young man seeking his place in sun to the social activist.
The theme of journey is one of the central themes in the novel. The journey from Oklahoma to California is the physical journey, but the journey of spirit also presents on the main characters. Jim Casey tells about his spiritual experience in such words:
“Before I knowed it, I was sayin’ out loud, “The hell with it! There ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue. There’s just stuff people do. It’s all part of the same thing.’ …says, “What’s this call, this sperit?” An’ I says, “It’s love. I love people so much I’m fit to bust, sometimes.”…I figgered, ‘Why do we got to hang it on God or Jesus? Maybe,’ I figgered, ‘maybe it’s all men an’ all women we love; maybe that’s the Holy Sperit-the human sperit-the whole shebang.

Maybe all men got one big soul ever’body’s a part of.’ Now I sat there thinkin’ it, an’ all of a suddent-I knew it. I knew it so deep down that it was true, and I still know it.” (p.25) This is, probably, the most famous quote from the book, because it expresses the position of the author. Thus, Jim Casey in the book isn’t only the voice of moral but the voice of the author.
The character of Jim Casey in “The Grapes of Wrath” realizes the bearer of moral philosophy, the spiritual guide for the main character and the realization of the author’s point of view.

Work cited
Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Random House Inc., 1993.