Biblical Allusion in The Grapes of Wrath A popular literary technique that can be found in numerous literary works is biblical allusion. John Steinbeck perfects this technique in his novel The Grapes of Wrath by introducing a character who symbolizes Jesus Christ. This character, Jim Casy, not only shares initials with this biblical figure, but also grows over the course of the novel as a speaker, mediator, organizer, and, most notably, martyr. At the advent of the novel, Jim Casy is quick to protest that he is no longer a preacher. However, evidence of his innate ability to speak is shown when he explains his thoughts and ideas to Tom. For example, Casy observes that "maybe there is only one but the soul and everyone is part of it," immediately foreshadowing his future decision to join other migrant workers. Casy's allusion to Jesus Christ serves as a force behind Tom's character as he changes over the course of the novel from self-centered to someone who thinks about the future and what he can do to help. Additionally, Casy uses his organizational skills when he gathers some of his fellow “reds” and they discuss changes that need to be made. In this very scene from the novel, the officers begin harassing the men and Casy shouts, “You don't know what you're doing. You are helping starve children. This is the final stage of Casy's symbolism towards Jesus: he is killed while preaching what he believes and therefore becomes a martyr for all migrant workers. Casy's symbolic death can be easily predicted. At one point he goes so far as to tell Tom that "there's going to be one thing that's going to change the whole country" "No one knows yet, but they will." Clearly, Steinbeck created this biblically referenced character for a certain purpose: to impress the concept of unity among the migrant people. Comments I agree that you have done this essay well and it is not easy to find fault with it. However, you might read the following sentence: “Casy's allusion to Jesus Christ serves as a force behind Tom's character as he changes over the course of the novel from self-centered to someone who thinks about the future and what he can do to help.