《憤怒的葡萄》中的圣經隱喻

Ⅰ Biblical Parallels in the Structure

1. A Journey to Nothing: the Failure of the American Dream

The structure of The Grapes of Wrath is dictated by the Bible. Steinbeck structures his story after Exodus in The Grapes of Wrath. In emphasizing the fact of the Oklahomans coming from the Oklahoma desert， crossing the big Death Valley desert and into California， the land of hope for them， The Grapes of Wrath works out the parallels to Exodus admirably well: the drought and the erosion plagues of Egypt; the banks and land companies are Pharaoh and the Egyptian oppressors; the journey is the exodus; California is Canaan， a land flowing with milk and honey; and the Californians， like the Canaanites， are hostile to the immigrants. The Dust Bowl migrants’ journey to California has proved to be a journey to nothing: the failure of the American Dream.

The American Dream means searching for God’s Promised Land. This thought begins with the first European colonization. Steinbeck has this American Dream or myth very much in mind in The Grapes of Wrath. In this novel Steinbeck regards California as the ultimate symbol of the American Eden. But the California valley is an ironic， fallen Eden. So the journey becomes the fallen man’s compulsive but doomed search for Paradise and ritual reenactment of the Fall. While the grandparents die on the way， other members of the Joad family at last reach the rich， fertile land of California， the Eden of their dreams. They find very bad conditions of labor and social chaos. The migrants journey of seeking the Promised Land ends up with the destruction of their illusion. Their American Dream is completely broken.

2. A Journey of Man’s Awakening Consciousness: from I to We

With the mythical model of Exodus in the Old Testament in the Bible， Steinbeck not only achieves the thematic meaning of the novel but also announces the novel’s profound ideological connotation. The Joads’ exodus is also a spiritual journey， a journey of man’s awakening consciousness: from I to We.

The Joads as a whole progress from an exclusive concern for family interests to a broader vision of cooperation with all oppressed people. As the Joad family’s fortunes decline， the family morale declines， too: the family loses members and is threatened with dissolution. But as the family grows weaker， the communal unit of united workers， which forms in the roadside camps on the westward trek， grows stronger. In another word， the family unit， no longer viable， fades into the communal unit， which receives from the family’s strength and values.

Ⅱ Biblical Analogues in the Main Character

1. Jim Casy: a Christ－like Figure

Jesus Christ， it must be remembered， appeared as a herald of a new consciousness， as a header for the oppressed masses， and as a sacrificial figure whose death would offer man a new beginning and a second chance. Jim Casy， with his eye－catching initials， is such a chinst figure in the novel. Like Christ， Casy has gone into the desert to wrestle with his faith and returned with new religion. And like Christ， Casy has discovered within himself a commitment to mankind. And also like Christ， Casy finally sacrifices himself for the good of the oppressed.

In Casy’s opinion， man’s soul is breaking away from some larger soul and in death this individual soul is reunited with the larger oversoul. Therefore， Casy sees good in all things and good in all people. And he feels a kinship with all people because all people have come from the same essential source and will return there. Consequently， he views all acts as good and holy. Eating， drinking， talking， fornicating cussing and all things are holy because they are done by men and man himself is holy.

2. Tom Joad: a Saintly Hero

In some ways Tom Joad is the main protagonist. It is Tom who has been called “Jesus Meek” in prison; and it is Tom whom Ma Joad describes as special and chosen. Finally， Tom takes Casy’s place as a sacrificial figure. Tom， who used to be an irresponsible youth， is totally transformed into an apostle of the new faith started by Casy. He also grows from a selfish opportunist to a selfless and responsible strike leader. He now realizes the importance of being one with the masses. Being able to share the sorrows of others.

3. Ma Joad: an Image of Holy Mother

Ma Joad is the mother of the Joad family. Ma is in troduced as a woman who knowingly and gladly fulfills her role as “the citadel of the family”. Ma Joad emerges the family’s center of strength over the course of the novel. Regardless of how bleak circumstances become， Ma Joad meets every obstacle unflinchingly. She consistently proves to be the novel’s strongest supporter of family and togetherness.

Like Holy Mother， Ma Joad is a strong， determined and indestructible woman. She is the supporter of the family and the family’s center of strength. She guides， controls and holds the family together. Ma knows that if she ever shows fear or despair， that if she ever fluctuates away from perfect control， the entire family would collapse. Therefore， she maintains a front before the family that never falters. Ma Joad is the force which holds the family together. As long as the family or some part of the family are together， Ma will see to it that they keep going. Because she feels and knows that they are the people， that they are the ones who will endure and continue to live and populate the world. After losing her home and the tokens of the past， Ma must endure a series of deaths and hardships. Ma Joad is the symbol of Holy Mother because she nurtures her saintly son Tom Joad and encourages him to work for all people， and because she learns a philosophy of selfless sacrifice. She functions in the novel as the living embodiment of the thoughts of Jim Casy.

Ⅲ Biblical Allusions in Setting

1. The Grapes: the Battle Hymn

In the novel the grapes mean abundance at first and then bitterness， which turns to wrath as abundant harvests are deliberately destroyed. Steinbeck points out the real meaning of the title of the novel: Something in the nature of a social revolution would be imminent if nothing is done to stop the detonation. He uses God’s wrath in the Bible to symbolize the anger of the people. So far the grapes in the novel has turned into the symbol of painful anger. The grapes of hope have changed into the grapes of wrath. Cruel exploitation and oppression have driven people to the edge of death， which may initially produce fear in their hearts， but finally results in anger. The disappearance of fear and the increase of anger come with the people’s realization of collective force. What result can it bring out? The writer does not tell it explicitly. But he implies it in the symbols: just like God finally shows his wrath on the evil， the people’s rage will lead to revolutionary action and revolt against the oppressors. This is the prophecy utered by the American writer Steinbeck in his “revelation”.

2. Drought and Dust: Plagues of Egypt

The drought and the dust symbolize utter negation of fertility. They are also symbols of physical and spiritual sterility.

The word “dust” is repeated twenty－seven times in Chapter One， and such repetition reinforces one of the theme， or in fact the twin themes: economic decline which will accumulate into disaster， and deteriorating morale which will at length split up the family unit.

Another theme， related to the one of survival， is established here in the threatened loss of human dignity. The immediate crisis is essentially economic but is seen as closely related to loss of morale: the primary concern of the women is that their men remain whole， that they give battle to adverse circumstance. The twin themes of economic and moral decline are of course integral to the novel; they will clash throughout with the lingering impetus to survive.

It is a crisis novel. It is Steinbeck’s clear expression of his intense sympathy with the dispossessed and the wretched. It is worth pointing out that Steinbeck is not a revolutionist but a humanist. He does not aim at subverting the capitalist society. He just states that it is likely to lead to violent revolution. His purpose is only to shock the oppressors and have them sympathize with the poor. So， The Grapes of Wrath is essentially a plea for the land owners of California， or of America， to be more tolerant. As the limitation of Steinbeck， he cannot point out a better living for the migrants. We can feel his helplessness.

〔責任編輯：龐遠燕〕