In a way, Steinbeck portrays Jim Casy as a sort of holier figure in the Grapes of Wrath book. His accidental meeting with one of the main, if not the most main, character, Tom Joad, was where this first concept came in to play. Jim Casy was seen sitting alone, recognizing Tom Joad on sight as a boy he once baptized many years ago. Upon asking if he still was known as reverend Jim Casy, he goes on to explain a revelation he made while preaching that brought him to the conclusion he should no longer preach.
"...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.' . . . . I 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."
These was a significant moment in the Grapes of Wrath because it conveys a whole new perspective on a widely controversial subject: the subject of higher power existing. He explains his revelation of this "Sperit" that he once believed to be with only those believing in God and Jesus to be in man as a whole.
However, his philosophy of holiness being in humans as a whole contradicts the actions and "virtues" of people in Grapes of Wrath.
Through this, his philosophy can help guide the novel as in show how corrupted and "unholy," in all senses of the word, the world has become during this time period. Casy's philosophy is that holiness is in people, and their so called "sin and virtue" is nonexistent, as it's just "stuff people do." He believes that this holiness and true virtue is in the heart and soul of the people, which drives us as humans to do what we do, and care for each other with the same love that one may think was God's love. However, during the book, things happen were any kind of virtue, God's or philosophically the ideals of man. During this time period, man's true "evil" side came out when the value of wealth became more valuable than the value of men. For example, when fruits were allowed to rot instead of given to those who truly needed it. Through this, the philosophy is turned sour in a contradictory situation of mankind's ignorance to their love for one another. Also by this, the moral philosophy that Jim Casy invented and had potentially led the story along was contradicted, which made the reader think harder of the meaning behind Grapes of Wrath.
However, in the final scene, where Rose of Sharon suckles an old dying man after birthing a stillborn child, the concept of Casy's "holiness" and a higher power "holiness" concept collides. The scene has been compared to that of the virgin Mary's when she held the dying Christ, and shows both the love of humankind and the original "Sperit" comparison. After the scene, Rose of Sharon looks into the distance and smiles "mysteriously," as if to come to the revelation that everything will be okay, even after their cars have been rained away, along with all their money spent and their new child being born dead. With this the moral philosophy of Jim Casy ends in the book with an unexpected revelation.
"...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.' . . . . I 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."
These was a significant moment in the Grapes of Wrath because it conveys a whole new perspective on a widely controversial subject: the subject of higher power existing. He explains his revelation of this "Sperit" that he once believed to be with only those believing in God and Jesus to be in man as a whole.
However, his philosophy of holiness being in humans as a whole contradicts the actions and "virtues" of people in Grapes of Wrath.
Through this, his philosophy can help guide the novel as in show how corrupted and "unholy," in all senses of the word, the world has become during this time period. Casy's philosophy is that holiness is in people, and their so called "sin and virtue" is nonexistent, as it's just "stuff people do." He believes that this holiness and true virtue is in the heart and soul of the people, which drives us as humans to do what we do, and care for each other with the same love that one may think was God's love. However, during the book, things happen were any kind of virtue, God's or philosophically the ideals of man. During this time period, man's true "evil" side came out when the value of wealth became more valuable than the value of men. For example, when fruits were allowed to rot instead of given to those who truly needed it. Through this, the philosophy is turned sour in a contradictory situation of mankind's ignorance to their love for one another. Also by this, the moral philosophy that Jim Casy invented and had potentially led the story along was contradicted, which made the reader think harder of the meaning behind Grapes of Wrath.
However, in the final scene, where Rose of Sharon suckles an old dying man after birthing a stillborn child, the concept of Casy's "holiness" and a higher power "holiness" concept collides. The scene has been compared to that of the virgin Mary's when she held the dying Christ, and shows both the love of humankind and the original "Sperit" comparison. After the scene, Rose of Sharon looks into the distance and smiles "mysteriously," as if to come to the revelation that everything will be okay, even after their cars have been rained away, along with all their money spent and their new child being born dead. With this the moral philosophy of Jim Casy ends in the book with an unexpected revelation.
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