Grapes of Wrath

Chapter Eight was the most engaging chapter, because Tom Joad has made it back home to his family. The family accepts him after he was away in jail after four years. The theme that I realized was the importance of family and that your family will always be there when you need them. “He held his hammer suspended in the air, about to drive a set nail, and he looked over the truck side at Tom, looked resentful at being interrupted. And then his chin drove forward and his eyes looked at Tom’s face, and then gradually his brain became aware of what he saw. The hammer dropped slowly to his side, and with his left hand he took the nails from his mouth. And he said wonderingly, as though he told himself the fact, ‘It’s Tommy-‘And then, still informing himself, ‘It’s Tommy come home.’ His mouth opened again, and a look of fear came into his eyes. ‘Tommy,’ he said softly, ‘you ain’t busted out? You ain’t got to hide?’ He listened tensely” (page 96).  This passage shows how a father can be astonished that his son is finally home, even though he is home from jail.