The Metamorphosis of Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck :: The Grapes of Wrath

The Metamorphosis of Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath Tom Joad from Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath is a prime example of a person whose morals and spiritual growth cannot be restricted by the law or any other limiting factor for long. Throughout the novel he develops from a man only interested in his own independent personal desires and needs to one who is devoted to his family and sacrifices his own personal comfort for the benefit of the family. At the novel's end Tom is continuing Jim Casy's generous work of uniting the poor hand laborers against the rich oppressive landowners who are starving the poor with low wages. Tom's concept of family grows with his work uniting the poor to encompass all of humanity. Maslow's Humanistic psychological "Hierarchy of Human Needs" can be used to track Tom's personal development. Humanists believe that humans are constantly striving to be the best person that their present conditions allow them to be. The Hierarchy of Needs lists the needs that humans need to satisfy to reach the next level of development. One cannot move to a higher level of development without first satisfying the more basic levels. The first level includes the physiological needs: food water, and sleep. The next level is safety and security, then love and belonging. Next of the list is a healthy self-esteem and finally self-actualization. One who is self actualized has efficient perceptions of reality, autonomy, fellowship with hum ity, strong and loving interpersonal relationships, and is task centered. At the beginning of the novel Tom has just been paroled from prison serving time for killing a man in a fight. Tom feels he was merely defending himself. He feels no guilt or shame about killing the man and would do it again under the same conditions. Tom's morals allowed him to justify the killing. These morals were instilled in him by his family especially from the strength and love of his mother. Tom is looking forward to "laying one foot down in front of another." At this point in he story Tom has his physiological needs met and is going home to his family to meet his needs of safety and security love belonging. In chapter 6 Tom finds his house abandoned and meets Muley, an old neighbor that stayed behind after his family moved to California for work.

An Analysis on Themes and Writing Techniques Essay

Explain why George tells Nick the Story of the boy who ordered `bergin`. If this boy is actually George, explain why he does not tell Nick that the story is autobiographical. If the boy is not George, explain why he is so upset with Martha when she relates the story about the manuscript her father, the president of the college, would not let George publish. The play begins with George and Martha having just returned from a party hosted by Martha’s father, who is President of the college where George works as a professor. Martha has invited a new faculty member over for some drinks. It is later revealed that their guests at the after-party are a younger couple; Nick, the young, new professor at the Biology Department and his wife Honey. When Nick and Honey arrive, the seemingly innocent after-party evolves into a night of games, manipulation, confrontation and enlightenment for the two couples. As the night deepens, the effects of alcohol start to take over Martha and George. They start to reveal sensitive things about each other and their marriage. In Act Two of â€Å"Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? † George tells Nick the anecdote of a boy who once ordered â€Å"bergin†, killed his mother with a shotgun, and then after a year, crashed into a tree and killed his father. This happens after Nick confides in George the truth in his decision to marry Honey. He revealed that he married Honey not because he loved her but more because of the prospect of moving up the social ladder. The play also reveals that Honey does not plan on having children and has been avoiding getting pregnant by taking contraceptive pills. The side effects of the pills have been making her weak all along. (KONKLE, 2003) The reason why George did not tell Nick the story of the boy is his story is that he was too ashamed to admit to himself as well as to other people his troubled past for fear that he might be judged according to this incident. (KONKLE, 2003) Another reason why George disclosed the details of the story of the boy who accidentally killed his parents to Nick is to point out to Nick that no matter how perfect or ideal things may seem on the surface in the present, in truth, there is no such thing as ideal or perfect. The reality of life is that things are bound to go wrong all the time and people need to be ready for anything. What matters is how one deals with these difficulties. Nothing is permanent in the world. Sometimes things go the way you expect them to be but they can go the other way. The only thing permanent is change. The best way to cope with change is to recognize it, assess the veracity of the circumstance, and learn to adjust accordingly. It is important to see the reality of the situation so that in case there are problems that need to be solved, the best way to come up with a proper solution is to acknowledge the gravity of the situation. Trying to cover flaws or problems will only worsen the situation. Oftentimes, when this happens, small problems that are left unsolved snowball into an ‘avalanche’ that gets too big that it is bound to leave too much damage. George and Martha started out as a couple with so much promise of success in the future. However, things did not work out as they have planned and as expected. As such, they are having difficulty adjusting to this reality. Instead of accepting the reality of their predicament and exploring other alternatives to get them out of their â€Å"pothole†, so to speak, they chose to remain â€Å"oblivious† to their situation. George and Martha are trapped in their illusion of perfection and are too proud to admit the truth. They are thus thrust deeper in to their â€Å"pothole† of problems. (KONKLE, 2003) George became upset with Martha when she told the story about his manuscript that her father would not let him publish because it exposed his inadequacies. George is a proud man and it is very typical of him to refuse to reveal anything that would make him seem the least bit incompetent. The reality of this situation brought out their frustrations. The incident also highlighted the stark reality of the state of their affairs. Martha’s bickering drew attention to how disappointed that George was not live up to her and her father’s expectations and that she was so disgruntled with her marriage with George. (KONKLE, 2003) What ensued between the two couples reveals the similarities, to some degree, in their marriages. The only difference is that Nick and Honey represent the beginning stages and George and Martha represent the latter. The conversations between the men and the confrontation scenes expose the flaws in both marriages. Through George and Martha, Nick and Honey were allowed to â€Å"peek† into the future state of their relationship. They realize that should they do nothing about the present state of their marriage, they could end up in a place worse than where George and Martha are. For George and Martha, Nick and Honey represent a slice of their past. It allowed them a glance back at the things that have happened, which brought them to where they currently are in their marriage. Reference List KONKLE, L. (2003). â€Å"Good, Better, Best, Bested†: The Failure of American Typology in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? In B. J. Mann, Edward Albee: A Casebook (p. 44). New York : Routledge.

Art Of The Renaissance Era - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 636 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/06/14 Category Art Essay Level High school Tags: Renaissance Essay Did you like this example? A true work of art is but a shadow of the Devine perfection. Michelangelo. The world during the time of the Renaissance was similar to Rome, in a sense that it was for the most part humanistic. On the contrary, Jan Van Eyck, an artist during the Renaissance, was a very dedicated Christian painter. Most all of his work has the very deep spiritual symbolism of Jesus Christ as well as God himself. While some artists decided to take the route of humanistic ideas, Jan Van Eyck decided to become a devout follower of Jesus and attempt to capture the beauty of God through his artwork. In his most famous work of art, The Arnolfini Portrait, there are crosses painted in the background that has been painted with single hair paint brushes. The mirror in the center of the canvas has many biblical images including a crucifixion scene. In another painting, Lucca Madonna, Mary is sitting in a throne-like chair holding baby Jesus. Baby Jesus is holding apples which symbolize the fall of man. Many other paintings that were painted by Jan Van Eyck contain hidden symbolism. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Art Of The Renaissance Era" essay for you Create order Jan Van Eycks paintings: Lucca Madonna and The Arnolfini Portrait have many similarities as well as many differences. Lucca Madonna has warm colors all around. On the left side of this painting, there is a window which brings in the warm evening light. The room, in which Mary is seen holding baby Jesus, is incredibly sacred looking and gives a holy and royal mindset to the painting. Mary sits in her throne-like chair and nurses baby Jesus who is holding the apple which symbolizes the fall of humanity. In The Arnolfini Portrait, there are two people, a man, and a woman, standing in front of a first class type of building holding hands. On the left side of the painting, there is a window that lets in a cold colored light. In the very center of the portrait, at the bottom, therers a small dog who looks up from the perspective of the image. In the direct center, there is a mirror in which you can see the reflection of everything in the painting as well as an image of the painter himself painting the couple. Both paintings are painted from the same perspective. The faces of the people in both images are very similar looking and capture a realistic look. Both paintings share the same kind of window in the exact same spot. Both windows have fruit laying next to them as well. Both pictures have the symbolism of Jesus Christ and God the Father. These paintings are very obvious painted by the same painter with the same mindset. Both of the paintings also have many differences. Lucca Madonna has a very warm color thatrs very easy on the eyes whereas The Arnolfini Portrait is a little colder and has more vibrant colors. The meanings of the two paintings are different as well. Lucca Madonna has the image of baby Jesus being nursed by Mary and symbolizes the fall of man. The picture also looks holy. The Arnolfini Portrait is pointing more towards Jesus in the work. Even though both of these works are by the same artist you can see the diversity and creativity in both of these paintings. Jan Van Eyck knew how to turn away from humanism and refocus on God. These paintings really show the beauty of God. Michelangelo claimed that art is a shadow of the Devine and he was correct. Jan Van Eyck was really able to reflect God in his paintings. This art is still valued today and makes art historians really marvel at the beauty. Jan Van Eyck not only painted to get by but instead he painted to seek beauty and truth and capture the essence of God.