As the wonder at why Steinbeck put Jim Casy in the book and how his role would affect the Joads churned in my head, Jim Casy sacrificed himself so the Joads would have an easier life during chapter twenty. The Joads and Casy were at their first "Hooverville" camp when a cop had come and made trouble with their new friend. Tom Joad ended up knocking out the cop, but the cop hadn't seen who had done it. While he was knocked out and the other cops were coming, Casy tells Al and Tom that they need to go and hide before the other cops arrive. Casy said, "'Somebody got to take the blame. I got no kids. They'll jus' put me in jail, an' I ain't doin' nothin' but set aroun''" (362,363).
Jim Casy sacrificed himself for the better of his family. This must be Steinbeck recreating the sacrifice that Jesus Christ did to save all of the people in the world so that they could have eternal life. We already know that Casy is not an exact replica of Jesus because he sins all the time, and Jesus never sinned. But, this huge sacrifice leads me to believe that Steinbeck is trying to send us some sort of message about either the Savior, religion, or helping each other out when times are tough. The question is, what exactly is he trying to say to the reader, or about the life the Joads are living in the thirties?
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