The Dust Bowl era of the 1930s prompted a large group of migrant families to move west to California due to the harsh conditions they faced face in their previous residences. This movement has not only caused problems for families but also for individuals who have been forced to face their own problems along the migration path. The book, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, describes the personal struggles of the migrant worker through the characters of Tom, Casy, and Ma. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The character of Tom Joad has one of the more interesting backgrounds of the other characters which leads to a greater change in his personality by the end of the book. At the beginning of the novel we are introduced to Tom and his self-centered personality. Tom says his four years in prison taught him that we must seize the moment because the future is not certain. However, by the end of the book, he trades this mindset for a more future-focused idea. On his journey west, Tom faces hostility and hardship that makes prison seem easy. Tom must watch as both his grandfather and grandmother lose their lives, he must watch his family starve and beg for work once they reach California, and many other things test his resolve. These challenges convert Tom to Jim Casy's teachings that one person cannot change the world, a family is needed. This change prevents Tom from turning into the many selfish migrants they have encountered who would gladly take a piece of bread even if it meant taking it from another family. Ultimately, Tom's biggest challenge was learning that if his family was going to survive he would have to focus more on the future, unfortunately it took the deaths of two family members for him to realize this. The next character of Jim Casy is quite an intriguing character for the reason that he seems to take on the role of Jesus Christ, whose initials he shares. Jim Casy suggests, “…Perhaps it is all the men and women we love; maybe that's the Holy Spirit - the human spirit - the whole thing. Perhaps all men have a great soul of which they are all a part. This is a pretty interesting comment coming from a former preacher considering he is suggesting that there is no true god. Casy's main struggle wasn't really his problem, yet he made it his problem, which was all the suffering of migrant workers. As Jim Casy traveled west, he took note not only of the hardships faced by his family, but of all migrant families. He wants more than anything to end this suffering, but he doesn't know how to use his talents as a speaker and spiritual healer to help him begin the journey. By the end of the journey, however, Casy is so dedicated to saving the suffering workers that he is willing to risk his life for what he believes in and begins using his skills to organize the migrant workers. All in all, Jim Casy is extremely important in The Grapes of Wrath because he is able to help not only himself overcome difficulties but also Tom and other migrant workers. Another important character is Ma Joad who emerges as the glue of the family that holds them together. together throughout the book as Pa Joad begins to become less of a leader. But he endures not only his personal struggles but those of the entire family. Regardless, Ma faces every challenge with steadfastness and continues to hold herself together regardless of the pain she may feel inside. Perhaps one of the best examples of how strong Ma is.