The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck follows a poor family of Oklahoma tenant farmers, the Joads, who emigrate to California to pursue a better future. The protagonist of the novel, Tom Joad, proves to be a man who likes to keep himself anchored to the present. Avoid thinking about anything that doesn't have an immediate effect on yourself or your family. But Tom's early characterization clashes with the person he becomes at the end of the novel. Tom becomes a social activist, ready to fight for the rights of errant workers in California. This change is brought about by his interactions with one of the other main characters in the story, Jim Casy. And it is above all Casy's death that makes Tom overcome the limits he had initially set for himself. Tom eventually follows in Casy's footsteps by becoming a social activist. The character and death of Jim Casy are important to understanding the development of Tom Joad. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Tom Joad undergoes a significant transformation over the course of the novel. The reader soon learns that Tom spent four years in prison for murder. Released on parole, he hitchhikes home to his family. Tom shamelessly tells the riding man what he has done: “It means I killed a boy. Seven years. I blew myself away for keeping my nose clean.” Tom also meets Jim Casy, a former preacher, on his journey home. When his past is mentioned in the conversation with Casy, Tom talks about the crime he committed very similarly to the way he described it to the driver he hitchhiked with. “I would do what I did – again. . . I killed a guy in a fight. We were drunk at a dance. He stuck a knife in me and I killed him with a shovel that was lying there.” Tom's lack of remorse is justified by the fact that it was self-defense. But it is precisely his inability to feel ashamed or reflect that is indicative of someone who lives only in the present. His desire to avoid looking too deeply into the past or future is demonstrated in his response to a question from Casy regarding the number of jobs available in California: “How did I know? I'm just putting one foot in front of the other. . . This here little piece of iron and babbitt. Do you see it? Do you see it? Well, that's the only damn thing in the world I could think of." Tom later breaks parole to travel west with his family. This action also shows his disdain for any future consequences. Jim Casy is the opposite of Tom Joad's initial characterization. While Tom is only concerned with the present, Casy constantly looks to the future, often questioning the state of humanity and divinity. Casy's general thoughtfulness is well illustrated by a theological theory of his: “ Maybe it's all the men and all the women we love; maybe that's the Holy Spirit, the human spirit, the whole thing. Maybe all men have a great soul that's all part of it." is not what separates him from Tom. It is his moral character and selflessness that distinguish him from any other person in the novel. When Tom gets into an argument with a deputy, Casy takes the blame, telling an officer that he had “knocked out your man there." This brief moment shows well the difference between men. Tom, giving in to a moment of passion, does not think about the consequences that his possible arrest would have on his family or on himself. Casy, however, immediately realizes the gravity of the situation. He understands Tom's importance to his family: “Someone has to take the blame. I don't have children. They will put me.