Tom Joad from Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath is a prime example of a person whose morals and spiritual growth can not be restricted by the law or any other limiting factor for long. Throughout the novel he develops from a man only interested
in his own independent personal desires and needs to one who is devoted to his family and sacrifices his own personal comfort for the benefit of the family. At the novel's end Tom is continuing Jim Casy's generous work of uniting the poor hand laborers
gainst the rich oppressive land owners who are starving the poor with low wages. Tom's concept of family grows with his work uniting the poor to encompass all of humanity.
Maslow's Humanistic psychological 'Hierarchy of Human Needs' can be used to track Tom's personal development. Humanists believe that humans are constantly striving to be the best person that their present conditions allow them to be.
Trailer for the 1940 black and white film The Grap...
Ma Joad and Tom Joad discuss Tom's future.
Ma and Tom Joad. Note Tom's scar on his left cheek...The
Hierarchy of Needs lists the needs that humans need to satisfy to reach the next level of development. One can not move to a higher level of development without first satisfying the more basic levels. The first level are the physiological needs: food
water, and sleep. The next level is safety and security, then love and belonging. Next of the list is a healthy self-esteem and finally self-actualization. One who is self actualized has efficient perceptions of reality, autonomy, fellowship with hum
ity, strong and loving interpersonal relationships, and is task centered.
At the beginning of the novel Tom has just been paroled from prison serving time for killing a man in a fight. Tom feels he was merely defending himself. He feels no guilt or shame about killing the man and would do it again under the same
conditions. Tom's morals allowed...