Entry D (Ch 16-19): Family/Unity

Changing Perspectives on Family and Unity

        In Chapter 19, the Joad family's idea of family & unity has changed drastically from their prior moral values, both at the beginning of their journey and as they began to travel. In the beginning, the Joads invited people to join their family unit, like Jim Casy, for example. They openly invited people to unite with them. Over the course of their journey, though, the Joad family becomes more exclusive in terms of its membership. Previously, the Joads did everything they could to keep their family together. When their truck broke down while still traveling out to California, all of the family members stuck together, despite the suggestion to break up. (This effort to stick together was spearheaded by Ma.) The Joads felt more secure together, having all of the members of their family around, and did everything in their power to keep their family unity.

        However, in Chapter 19, the Joads leave Connie behind, who is Rose of Sharon's husband and the father of her soon-to-be-born baby:

        "Well, he ain't no good," Pa insisted. "All the time a-sayin' what he's a-gonna do. Never doin' nothin'. I didn' want to say nothin' while he's here. But now that he's run out--"...Tom broke in, "Hey, what is this? We ain't sure Connie's gone for good. We got no time for talkin'. We got to eat an' get on our way." (Pg. 272-273)

        The Joads make no effort to track down Connie, who has once again wandered off. In addition, they essentially turn on him, attacking his personality and work ethic. Instead of attempting to preserve their family unity, the Joads are content to watch their family unit break apart into even smaller pieces. The Joads are moving towards work, and go so far as to tell the shopkeeper to give Connie the wrong directions to where they're going, should he want to track them down.

        The previously compassionate, unified Joad family has shrunk in size and ultimately evolved into an exclusive group in which only the most fit members are allowed. Grandma and Grandpa have died, as they were physically weak. Jim Casy left because he took the fall for Tom Joad, and now Connie has been purposefully left behind because the rest of the family does not find him worthy to be in their company and to continue with them, using their resources up.

        As expressed in Transcendentalism, because the Joads are treating members of their family/clan in a bad manner, it is likely that karma will catch up to them and the Joads will suffer. Also, since the book is tied heavily to the Bible through Biblical Allusions, the Golden Rule is constantly in play: "Do unto others as you wish others to do unto you." By abandoning Connie, the Joads are effectively asking to be abandoned themselves in some way, shape, or form.