Jim Casy, or the New Jesus? (Chapters 1-10 Assignment F)

John Steinbeck was a heretic in his time who tackled the controversial topic of religion. Throughout the first ten chapters, the character of Jim Casy is used to question the idea that one God exists and men have to refrain from sinning if they hope to go to heaven. After retiring from being a preacher after sleeping with women in his congregation, Casy questioned his faith, and then seems to have reached a higher level of philosophical views. Instead of believing in the normal facets of Christianity, he unknowingly turned to the Transcendentalist idea of the oversoul. He reveals his revelation:

"'maybe it's all men an' all women we love; maybe that's the Holy Sperit--the human sperit--the whole shebang. Maybe all men got one big soul ever'body's a part of.' Now i sat there thinkin' it, an' all of a suddent--I knew it. I knew it so deep down that it was true, and I still know it.'" (pg 24)

Casy's new belief follows the exact definition of the oversoul, that all men are part of one "human sperit." There is no more God or heaven higher than earth, but instead one overarching spirit that encompasses everyone. Later, at the table with the Joad family, Ma Joad asked Casy to say a prayer. At  first he refused, since he was not a preacher anymore, but eventually he gave in. He said:

"Sometimes I'd pray like I always done. On'y I couldn' figure what I was prayin; to or for. There was the hills, an' there was me, an' we wasn't separate no more. We was one thing. An' that one thing was holy." (81)

As a retired preacher, Casy is used to thinking that the only holy things are greater than earth. However, he now realized that the real, earthly things actually are what is holy, and he needn't look any further. His faith seems to have turned to a faith in the land and the world. This is ironic, because Casy only came to this realization when the land became dry and forced him into poverty.

In an allusion to the bible, Steinbeck gave the preacher the name of Jim Casy, with initials J.C. to suggest that Casy is the real Jesus Christ (the other J.C.). I predict that the old idea of Faith will continue to be challenged throughout the book, mostly due to this character.

More info on Casy and religion in the book can be found here