Most of the characters in The Grapes of Wrath are well portrayed with great backstories and their own personalities. For instance, Ma is a strong female lead character that makes her presence known throughout the novel through her leadership skills and dialogue. But then we have characters like Noah and Connie, who are not as detailed as much as any of the other individuals. I believe that Steinbeck purposefully created them this way so that their actions described them more accurately than their words. Noah has always been a silent character with a poor connection to his family. When he told Tom that he was staying at the river, it was a clear indicator of his selfishness. While departing from his family did make him sad, his ulterior motive won out over friendship and family.
Why didn't Steinbeck develop Noah's character more ? Do you think it's a flaw or does it serve a greater purpose? Be sure to reply whatever your thoughts may be on this subject. Any comments and ideas are appreciated!
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I think that Steinbeck didn't expand on Noah as a character, because of his connection to the other characters. Near the ending of the story, Noah says that he was leaving and that the family wouldn't be that affected because they cared for him but did not love him deeply. He also didn't have a connection to the main character Tom other than the fact that they were related. So I feel that it's not a flaw or greater purpose due to the fact of the small amount of him we see. We can't assume those options because as you said we barely say his character.
ReplyDeleteGreat analysis Cece and Kevin! This post helped me clarify my question.
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