Characterization Example

4/10/2014

Mr. J

4/9/2014 09:41:36 pm

"I ain't sleepin'," said Casy. "I got too much to
puzzle with." He drew up his feet and clasped his
legs. He threw back his head and looked at the sharp
stars. Joad yawned and brought one hand back under
his head. They were silent, and gradually the skitter-
ing life of the ground, of holes and burrows, of the
brush, began again; the gophers moved, and the rab-
bits crept to green things, the mice scampered over
clods, and the winged hunters moved soundlessly
overhead.
This quote shows how Casy is always in his head wrestling with the meaning of things. Nothing says contemplation, like laying on the ground and looking up at the stars. As they go to bed, animals move in the night. It is a great way to end a chapter.

Mr. J

4/9/2014 09:43:22 pm

By the way, that was the final paragraph of chapter 6 (60).

Camille

4/10/2014 05:07:21 am

(57) "We ain't doin' no harm, we'll jus' set here. We ain't doin' nothin'."
Tom says this when him and Muley are sitting by the fire. I think this shows how Tom doesn't really care about getting in trouble and he doesn't think about Muley's safety.

Madisen Kuppich

4/10/2014 05:08:25 am

"I don't go no place, an' I don't leave no place." -Muley (page 57, paragraph 1)
This quote shows how Muley has no home. He is a bum, and has nowhere to go because the land is all owned by the bank. He also chooses not to go anywhere (such as CA) because he is tied to the land because his father died there. The land has his blood, so Muley believes he cannot leave.

Hailey

4/10/2014 05:09:41 am

Joad said"Well, we ain't gonna walk no eight miles to uncle johns place tonight. My dogs is burned up. How's it if we go to your place, Muley? That's on'y about a mile. " "Won't do no good." Muley seemed embarrassed. "My wife an' the kids an' her brother all took an' went to California. They wasn't nothin' to eat. They wasn't as mad as me, so they went. They wasn't nothin' to eat here. "
The characterization here is that Muley is so mad about what happened that he was willing to split up his family for the anger he had. He wasn't willing to get over it and they were so they left and he chose to stay.

Kaley

4/10/2014 05:12:09 am

"Joad pointed to the broken glass and the rocks. "Kids," he said. "They'll go twenty miles to bust a window. I done it myself. They know when a house is empty, they know. That's the fust thing kids do when folks move out.""

Kaley

4/10/2014 05:13:16 am

This is showing how intelligent Joad is and how he realizes things that are happening around him and why they are happening. It also shows his honesty. Its on page 42.

Paige

4/10/2014 05:16:20 am

(54 in old book) "...Ol' Tom says, 'Hol' 'I'm under water.' So I shove your head down till you start bubblin' before you'd let go a that pigtail. You wasn't mean, but you was tough."
I think this shows that Joad grew up in a tough family and going to jail made him even more tough. He has always been fighting and struggling in conflict.

Mya

4/10/2014 05:17:34 am

Chapter 6 page 47: " 'You ain't telling me how to skin my life, by any chance?' Joad grinned. 'No, I ain't. If you wanta drive your head into a pile a broken glass, there ain't nobody can tell you different." Explaining that Muley is a tough man who is incapable of letting others tell him what to do. Joad recognizes that and accepts it as who Muley is and as everyone's right.

Tias

4/10/2014 05:19:37 am

"Well, you go out an' hide," said Joad. "Leave me an' Casy tell these bastards a few things." Chapter 6

This shows how Tom Joad will let his opinion be known. He is always willing to stand up for what he believes in. I can imagine it would be extra hard for him to hide from these people because they are on what should be Tom Joad Sr.'s land.

Katie

4/10/2014 05:19:55 am

"Fella gets use' to a way a thinkin', it's hard to leave. I ain't a preacher no more, but all the time I find I'm prayin', not even thinkin' what I'm doin'." -Casy
This really shows how even though he doesn't preach anymore he is still faithful. But also I think Steinbeck is trying to make a point that it's hard for these characters to change who they are.

Elise

4/10/2014 05:20:18 am

" [Muley's] movements were jerky and quick." And a little farther down on the page, " 'Who's that?' " (45). This shows that he has gotten to be very wary of any people and he has had to live in hiding. His quick movements show the resemblance to an animal in nature that has to quickly run away from danger.

Jordan Fiske

4/10/2014 05:20:31 am

"well, here's for the man, then." He cut off another piece. "Here Muley, if you ain't too goddamn upset to eat. This here's jackrabbit. Tougher'n a bull-bitch." I like this quote and chose it because it shows how straight forward Tom is as a character and he also isn't afraid to be a "smart alleck" either.

Jenna

4/10/2014 05:20:44 am

The preacher said nervously,"You should of went too, you shouldn' of broke up the fambly." "I couldn'," said Muley Graves "somepin jus' wouldn' let me."

This shows that Muley Graves is someone who may be considered stubborn, but stands up for what he believes in. He believes he is part of this land considering his father died on it, and that he should be able to stay where his seeds were planted. Also the dialect shows he is not a very well educated man.

Jenna

4/10/2014 05:23:14 am

page 62

jenna

4/11/2014 04:20:38 am

Chapter 8 page 97

"Yeah, ever' night grandpa'd get mad. Tumble over Winfield, an' Winfield'd yell, an' grampa'd het mad an' wet his drawers, an that'd make him madder, an' purity soon ever'body in the house'd be yellin' their head off."

"..now granma an' grampa both sleeps in the barn."

This shows the personality of their whole family. One gets angry and they all end up yelling. They obviously aren't very peaceful and they are all persistent on their own argument. They might be close but the close counters makes them all kinda crazy.

Katie

4/10/2014 05:20:58 am

Page 51 chapter 6

David

4/10/2014 05:21:08 am

Chapter 6 page 56 "I took a pair a pants when mine was wore out, an' a ol' pair a shoes when I was walkin' through to the groun', but it wasn't like when i had the tent."
This shows how Casy doesn't have a formal education and doesn't have much money to the point that he wears the same clothes till they are worn out.

Dan

4/10/2014 05:21:24 am

"But, hell, if I seen Herb Turnbull comin' for me with a knife right now, I'd squash him down with a shovel again." (pg 54) I think this quote shows Tom Joad is not ashamed of his past at all. After he went to jail for killing a man he still would do the same thing if that same situation came up

jenna

4/10/2014 05:22:52 am

"...if a fella's got somepin to eat an' another fella's hungry- why, the first fella ain't got no choice."

This shows the kind of man Graves is. He may be kind of nuts, but he is giving and has manners. chapter 6 pages 62&63

Amanda Kuhlmann

4/10/2014 05:23:22 am

"I put my han' right on the groun' where that blood is still. An' i seen my pa with a hole through his ches', an' i felt him shiver up against me like he done, an; i seen him kind of settle back an' reach with his han's an' his feet. An' i seen his eyes all milky with hurt, an' then he was still an' his eyes so clear--lookin' up. An' me a little settin' there." This shows that Muley doesn't let go of the past. He's tied to the land, it's the only place he's ever known. Now he believes that he can't leave because it's the land his father died on.

Amanda Kuhlmann

4/11/2014 03:07:33 am

Page 51

Lisa

4/10/2014 05:24:37 am

"..Right over there the ditch was, where I done the baptizin'. You want mean, but you was tough. Hung on to the little girl's pigtail like a bulldog. We baptize' you both in the name of the Holy Ghos', and still you hung on. Ol' Tom says, 'Hol' 'im under water.' So I shove your head down till you start to bubblin' before you'd let go a pigtail. You wasn't mean, but you was tough." (42) I think this quote shows that Casy remembers details very distinctly. He thinks about stuff so much that I think he dwells in his past. He pays attention to detail and doesn't forget much.

Jordan Fiske

4/10/2014 05:24:58 am

chapter 8 characterization: "Lonest goddamn man in the world," said Joad. "Crazy kind of son-of-a-bitch, too--something like Muley, on'y worse in some ways." I chose this quote because it previews Uncle John's character and how quiet and to himself he is.

Ethan

4/10/2014 05:25:08 am

"No, it's more'n jus' this place. Whyn't that cat jus' move in with some neighbors- with the Rances. How come nobody ripped some lumber off this house? Ain't been nobody here for three-four months, an' nobody's stole no lumber..." pg. 43 2nd paragraph
I think this quote kind of shows that even if Joad isn't very book smart he possesses another kind of smartness. He has common sense and just looked at the house and could tell that everyone around them had moved as well.

Christopher Stephens

4/10/2014 05:51:10 am

Joad stopped at the step a twelve-bytwelve- tinber. "Doorstep's here" He said. "but they're gone--- or ma's dead". He pointed to the low gate across the front door. "If ma was anywheres about, that gate'd be shut and hooked. That's one thing she always done seen that gate was shut."
P(41)
This shows a characteristic of tom's Ma and hoiw well he knows her

Mya

4/10/2014 10:04:56 am

"And now Al, moving humbly near, saw that his brother was not a swaggerer as he had supposed...And instantly Al changed. Unconsciously he became like his brother..."
This really shows that Al really admires his brother, even though he was only 12 when Tom went to jail. It helps to show Tom as a character that is to be respected and admired.

Mya

4/10/2014 10:05:33 am

Chapter 8 page 84/85

Madisen Kuppich

4/10/2014 12:12:51 pm

Pa shook his hand gravely, "You're welcome here, sir." (Ch 8, page 72)
This demonstrates how kind-hearted and welcoming Pa is to strangers. He opens his door for anyone, which can be concluded as a genuine act of kindness.

Marissa

4/10/2014 12:24:24 pm

"An then I'd want to go into town an' kill folks. 'Cause what'd they take when they tractored the folks off the lan'" chapter 6 page 52. This shows murley's violent side. This quote also shows that he know what believes in and he stand up of it.

Tyler

4/10/2014 12:49:16 pm

"How have you been gettin' your dinner?" Muley said ashamedly, For a while I et frogs an' squirrels an' prairie dogs sometimes. Had to do it. (Chapter 6 pg 48) This quote shows how tough of a life Muley has to go through. He has to live off eating animals he never thought he would have to eat just to stay alive.

Joseph

4/10/2014 01:09:02 pm

The approaching man stopped, startled by the call. His movements were jerky and quick. He carried a gunny sack in his hand. His blue jeans were pale at knee and seat, and he wore an old black suit coat, stained and spotted, the sleeves torn loose from the shoulders in back, and ragged holes worn through at the elbows. Page 45
This shows the rough condition the people were in at the time

Emily

4/10/2014 02:13:13 pm

Tom took up a rabbit in his hand. "One of you go get some bale wire outa the barn. We'll make a fire with some a this broken plank from the house. He looked at the dead rabbit. "There ain't nothin' so easy to get as a rabbit," he said.(49)
-This shows both leadership and survival skill that Tom Joad has. We can therefore say he is a pretty independent person just as how we met him in the beginning of the book. He knows that life at that time was not easy at all.

Emily

4/10/2014 02:22:20 pm

'Course Muley's crazy, all right. Creepin' aroun' like a coyote; that's boun' to make him crazy. He'll kill somebody purty soon an' they'll run him down with dogs. I can see it like a prophecy. He'll get worse an' worse." (68)
- This gives us another perspective of looking at Muley. He is kind of a crazy guy and we see many sides to him while he is in the book. We get this opportunity to think to ourselves if he is crazy enough to kill someone....

Paige

4/10/2014 11:08:36 pm

"I could shut my eyes an' walk right there. On'y way I can go wrong it's think about her. Jus' forget about her, an' I'll go right there. Hell, man, I was born right around' here..."
( 86 old book) I like this quote because it shows that Joad is really smart and can remember details even after he had been away for 4 years.

Erik Sanbeck

4/10/2014 11:15:38 pm

"My wife an' the kids an' her brother all took an' went to California. They wasn't nothin' to eat. They wasn't as mad as me, so they went. They wasn't nothin' to eat here." (48)

This is Muley explaining to Tom and Casey why he doesn't have a family

Elise

4/10/2014 11:22:34 pm

" Tom pulled his underlip between his teeth and bit it." (75). This is when he is meeting his mother for the first time in four years. It shows that his confidence earlier is not always true and that he cares about what his mom thinks of him, especially after his jail time.

Lisa

4/10/2014 11:24:27 pm

"Fooled ya, huh, Ma? We aimed to fool ya, and we done it." (75) this shows old Toms easy spirit. He's an easy going guy and he don't worry too much.

Hailey

4/10/2014 11:31:58 pm

I got thinkin’ how we was holy when we was one thing, an’ mankin’ was holy when it was one thing. An’ it on’y got unholy when one mis’able little fella got the bit in his teeth an’ run off his own way, kickin’ an’ draggin’ an’ fightin’. Fella like that bust the holi-ness. But when they’re all workin’ together, not one fella for another fella, but one fella kind of harnessed to the whole shebang—that’s right, that’s holy." (8) This shows how Ma Joad values her family staying together as a family and that the human bond between families and fellow travelers in their situation is also important.

Marissa

4/11/2014 03:07:52 am

"Granma following the conversation, bleated, 'Pu-raise Gawd fur vittory.' This quote helps the reader fully understand granma's character. She is a kinda a crazy old woman who loves The Lord.

Marissa

4/11/2014 03:32:00 am

Chapter 8 page 79

Amanda Kuhlmann

4/11/2014 03:15:08 am

"I hope you're dead sure of the way," Jim Casy said. "I'd hate to have the dawn come and us be way to hell an' gone somewhere." (Chapter 8, 67) This shows that Jim trust people to guide him. He's a laid back guy who's easy to get along with.

Dan

4/11/2014 03:17:50 am

" You ain't poisoned mad? You don't hate nobody? They didn't do nothin in that jail to rot you out with crazy mad?" This quote is about toms mother asking him if jail had changed him. She then goes on to talk about a story that she knew a man who went crazy and phyco because jail had changed him. This just shows the compassion toms mother still has for him even after all the years hes been away. Motherly love

Molly

4/11/2014 03:19:28 am

"I ain't saying I'm like Jesus," the preacher went on. "but I got tired like Him, and I got mixed up like Him, and I went into the wilderness like Him, without no campin' stuff... There was the hills, and there was me, and we wasn't separate no more. We was one thing. And that one thing was holy." chapter 8, pg 81

This shows how Casy has a lot of respect, and how he's really faithful and religious even though he's not necessarily Christian anymore.

kaitlyn

4/11/2014 03:20:12 am

The preacher laughed softly. "You know," he said, "it's a nice thing not bein' a preacher no more. Nobody use' ta tell stories when I was there, or if they did I couldn' laugh. An' I couldn' cuss. Now I cuss all I want, an' it does a fella good to cuss if he wants to." , pg.70, he is relieved to be himself and to not worry about anyone's opinion.

Molly

4/11/2014 03:34:04 am

"Joad stopped at the step... "they're gone - or Ma's dead." he pointed to the low gate across the front door. "if ma was anywheres about, that gate'd be shut an' hooked. That's one thing she always done - seen that gate was shut." His eyes were warm. "
This shows how Joad is rough and tender at the same time. He wonders if his mother is dead in a really matter-of-fact way, but then reminisces about the little things he remembers about home.

Amanda Wiethorn

4/11/2014 03:37:04 am

"Doorstep's here," he said. "But they're gone-or Ma's dead. If Ma was anywheres about, that gate'd be shut and hooked. That's one thing she always done-seen that gate was shut."
This quote was said by Tom and I think it shows how intelligent he is. He hasn't been there in years, but he know that his Ma is either dead, or everybody is just gone. I think it shows how smart he is because he was able to draw this conclusion with his surroundings after being gone for so many years.

Amanda Wiethorn

4/11/2014 03:37:41 am

Page 41.

Zach

4/11/2014 03:38:58 am

"I was mean like a wolf. Now I'm mean like a weasel." When Muley said this it sort of showed that he knows who he is.

Kaley

4/11/2014 03:40:07 am

"The preacher laughed softly. "You know," he said, "it's a nice thing not bein' a preacher no more. Nobody use' ta tell stories when I was there, or if they did I couldn' laugh. An' I couldn' cuss. Now I cuss all I want, any time I want, an' it does a fella good to cuss if he wants to."" (70)
I chose this quote because I think it shows his personality very well. He belives in being himself and doing what he wants, and he wants to swear and not be a preacher so thats what he did. He does what he wants and I think this quote is a great way to show that.

Amanda Wiethorn

4/11/2014 03:46:52 am

Page 79, "Granma following the conversation, bleated, 'Pu-raise Gawd fur vittory." This shows that she is religious and really loves God. She's kind of weird, but she's just like a lot of old grandmothers who love God.

Zach

4/11/2014 03:55:55 am

"Ma, there's a coupla fellas jus' come along the road, an' they wonder if we could spare a bite." Tom heard his mother's voice, the remembered cool, calm drawl, friendly and humble. "Let 'em come," she said. We got a-plenty." And this shows that she's willing to trust and help strangers.

Rachel

4/11/2014 04:10:54 am

Chapter 6
Bottom of page 42 and top of page 43
"So i shove your head down till you start to bubblin' before you'd let go a that pigtail. You wasn't mean, but you was tough." This is casey talking about tom, and it show how tom was tough, and it Also shows caseys point of it. Because some people might take toms shortness as him being mean, but casey sees that toms not mean, but tough.

Camille

4/11/2014 04:18:43 am

Chapter 8
Throughout this chapter the preacher shows how he's kind of a caring and respectable person. He makes comments here and there about other people's well beings instead of just worrying about himself.
Pg 69 "Poor fella, poor lonely fella. Did he go to church much when his woman died?"

David

4/11/2014 04:21:00 am

Chapter 8 page 69 "Poor fella," said the preacher. "Poor lonely fella. Did he go to church much when his woman died?" This shows that the preacher cares about how he cares about people but above all at least in the public eye he cares about his religion and others over everything.

Tyler

4/11/2014 04:21:14 am

"Look at him," he said. "A jailbird. Ain't been no Joads in jail for a hell of a time."

This quote shows how Grandpa Joad behaves and acts. He says what is on his mind even if it might be offend someone else.

Ethan

4/11/2014 04:21:21 am

"Tommy," he said softly, "you ain't busted out? You ain't got to hide?" He listened tensely. End of first paragraph pg.72
This shows Joad's father concerned about how his son got out of jail even though he was excited to see him. This says a lot about his morals and that he's a lawful person.

Rachel

4/11/2014 04:22:05 am

Chapter 8
Page 67
"Hell man, i was born right aroun' in here. I run aroun' here when i was a kid." This shows the deep family roots and the pride that people had. And how ingrained their homeland and farms were in their minds and how it defined them.

Tias

4/11/2014 04:22:11 am

"Preacher? You got a Preacher"

Tias

4/11/2014 04:25:14 am

This is what Granma says when he hears their is a preacher around. She is looking for a chance to pray in these hard times.

Nic

4/11/2014 04:26:58 am

No, like I said, they wasn't people to write. Pa could write, but he wouldn't. Didn't like to. It gave him the shivers to write. He could work out a catalogue as the nex' fell, but he wouldn't write no letters just for ducks."

kaitlyn

4/11/2014 04:28:26 am

"I seen turtles all my life, they're always goin' someplace. They always seem to want to get there." , pg.44 refering to how everything and everyone move naturally and how his family just got up and left.

Emili

4/13/2014 01:00:15 pm

Ch 8 pg 74
"And suddenly her face was worried. 'Tommy, you ain't wanted? You didn' bust loose?'"
This is also one of the first things his father asked which shows that both of them are respectful of the law and realize that it is not okay to break it. They both seem to realize that Tommy was just defending himself when he killed that man so they don't judge him and hold it over his head when he comes home.

Thomas Coyle link

4/14/2014 02:17:04 am

Ch 8 pg. 79
"Full a piss an' vinegar," said Grampa. His mind jumped. "Jus' like I said, they ain't a gonna keep no Joad in jail. I says, Tommy'll come a-bust in' outa that jail like a bull through a corral fence. An' you done it. Get outa my way, I'm hungry." This quote sets up Grampa Joad as a ornery, bossy, and stubborn person.

Laura

4/14/2014 03:55:22 am

"Did you spen' your money for them clothes?" He asked. "Them clothes are just gunna be a nuisance to you" (page 84)
What I like about this quote is how it portrays the sence of plainness this family and many others during this time were. It shows that they were practicle and worked with what they had. Extra stuff was simply a distraction and got in the way.

Zachary

4/14/2014 04:32:31 am

I can't beeline he won't take my mules. They are young and strong and easily worth the car in the amount of labor they can do. pg. 64

Zachary

4/14/2014 04:33:33 am

Believe not beeline...

Jeremy link

4/22/2014 12:35:08 pm

"If me jus' bein' glad to be here an' bein' thankful for people that's kind and generous, if that's enough- why, I'll say that kinda grace. But I ain't a preacher no more." (80) This quote is just about Casey explaining why he won't say grace. But it shows that even if Casey doesn't feel religious anymore, he still has an appreciation for people and the good things that they do.

Jeremy

4/22/2014 12:51:22 pm

"If I was still a preacher I'd say the arm of the Lord had struck. But now I don't know what happened." (41) This quote can be interpreted a few different ways, depending on how you look at it. It could be an example of how Casey is kind of lost in the world w/o his religion to help him. It could also be like Casey saying there are no easy answers now that he can't turn to his religion.

Filipino Northern Ireland link

3/19/2021 01:18:32 am

Good bblog post

Characterization Example

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