himself. He works on the car, towards finding work, and to comfort Ma when she seems to need it. His personality lightens as he becomes a vital part of the Joad clan. However, when he finds Casy striking out, and witnesses his death, his natural instincts come out, and he kills Casy's assassin, thereby getting himself into even more trouble than he was in before for breaking his parole. "Tom looked down at the preacher. The light crossed the heavy man's legs and the white new pick handle. Tom leaped silently. He wrenched the club free. The first time he knew he had missed and struck a shoulder, but the second time his crushing blow found the head, and as the heavy man sank down, three more blows found his head." (Page 495) The repeated blows demonstrate a lack of control possessed by Tom, yet, his manner for killing the man are slightly more justified than the man at the dance. The differences between the two killings already demonstrate an enlightening of Tom's character. When Tom goes to tell his mother that he cannot stay for fear of the family, his words show his complete metamorphosis. "'Tom,' Ma repeated, 'what you gonna do?' 'What Casy done,' he said. . . Ma said, 'How'm I gonna know about you?' 'Well, maybe like Casy says, a fella ain't got a soul of his own, but on'y a piece of a big one - an' then -' 'Then what, Tom?' 'Then it don' matter. . . Wherever they's a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever they's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there. If Casy knowed, why I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad an' - I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry an' they know supper's ready. An' when our folks eat the stuff they raise an' live in the houses they build - why, I'll be there.'" (Page 537) He decides to dedicate his life towards the fight of the hungry and oppressed and cares little for trivialities any longer. His journey is a spiritual one that could not have been assessed without Casy's help...
