The document discusses how John Steinbeck represents self-preservation in his novel The Grapes of Wrath through the characters of Pa Joad, Ma Joad, and Jim Casy. Pa Joad struggles with his loss of identity and purpose as the family's provider. Ma Joad takes on the role of holding the family together. Jim Casy preaches the importance of cooperation and collective well-being over individual self-interest.

1. Encouragement of Cooperation<br />By:<br />Peter Derks<br />Mr. Kabachia<br />Humanities 30-1<br />November 5, 2009<br />The Grapes of Wrath is John Steinbeck’s way of representing how self-preservation can lead to hardship, frustration and agony when dealing with competing internal and external demands. Steinbeck shows the consequences that arise when preserving one’s self over others through his characters Pa Joad, Ma Joad and Jim Casy. <br /> Pa Joad represents the fortitude and resourcefulness of the Joad family, at the start of the novel, and shows his strength when “[he is] the head of the family…” However, as the plot unfolds and the hope, once plentiful, had become false promise, the family must struggle for their collective self-preservation. With Ma being able to provide food and Al administrating the family’s transportation, Pa became less necessary for the Joads to survive. As the Joads depart from their homeland and head towards the promise land, the needs of the family become constricted along with Pa’s leadership. When they reach California Pa “[becomes] silent and withdrawn for a long time,” which gave him to time to think. Steinbeck assures the reader the dangers of becoming self-enthralled within your thoughts. Pa detaches himself mentally from the family, because he was always the provider of the family and can now no longer find work, meaning he can no longer provide food, and is no longer head of the family. The motivation for him dwelling into dangerous thoughts are because he needs to preserve himself and, potentially, putting him before the family. This occurs frequently because each time the family struggles, he distances himself so that he does not need to suffer with them. The external demands shift at the end of the novel from attempting to find necessities to keeping what the Joads have left. And as the families demands shift, as does Pa and he “[laughs] triumphantly” because when the family has nothing, his motivation to step forward and take command is that of any father’s, watching their family drowned with struggle, duty.<br />Ma Joad, “the citadel of the family”, has the commitment to maintain the integrity of the family. Her individualism stems from how closely knit the family is. The further the plot extends, the further the distance between family members, and the further Ma feels she had failed. The sole purpose of Ma's induction into the novel is to be the string that weaves the family together. When the men in the family can no longer find work, there is a shift in the ordering of the family and Ma becomes the head of the family. Pa Joad struggles to contemplate his loss of power, and Ma beckons him and the rest of the family through the hopelessness and anger. The motivation for her to keep the family together is because to her “[they’re] Joads. [They] don’t look up to nobody” and Ma is the family. The family is one individual much like the turtle. When the turtle losses a leg, it will never be able to walk straight and function properly, Noah leaving was the first sign of the crumbling hope guiding the family. The family unweaves as the novel progresses and is no longer as shielded from the outside impact created by the poverty and starvation. The blanket that was once the family became a pile of strings each with their own course and Ma Joad's motivation is re-knit her self-preservation.<br />Jim Casy was introduced as a washed up preacher, with a revolutionist approach to struggle and frustration created by the monster. The preaching given by Jim Casy was directed towards the banks and men of knowledge; Steinbeck states “[the] bank is something more than men, I tell you. It's the monster. Men made it, but they can't control it”. Jim Casy is the Christ archetype throughout the novel and promotes the collectivism of the family, and persuading them to maintain strong relationship with similar ill-fated migrants. The purpose of Jim’s presence is to illustrate the well-being created by not pursuing self-interest and maintaining a strong collective point of view. Ironically, he is simultaneously acquiring his self-preservation by not thinking of himself in times of conflict. Jim Casy is a leader figure whose niche is to alleviate the individual goals created by each family member. Ma Joad and Jim Casy are similar in that they both wish for the family to stay intact, however, Jim Casy wishes to pursue the cooperation of all the migrants and sacrificing family members is simply a price to pay. In his eyes, the conflict arrives when the migrants chose to oppose each other and are not willing to help those in need. With his dying breathe he explains to forgive them because “[they] don’t know what [they’re] a-doin”. His proclamation to unite the migrants continues through Tom Joad, and Jim Casy finds his self-preservation in those that choose to follow him. <br />Steinbeck approaches self-preservation through a multitude of characters, each with their own perceptions of self-preservation. No matter what conflict arrives, Jim Casy will pursue the interest of others to establish his own well-being. Ma and Pa Joad are wife and husband and seek their self-preservation through keeping the individual strong and conserved. Through these characters, Steinbeck shows the danger which can and does evidently arrive when pursuing the well-being of an individual over the collective.<br />