One flew over the Cuckoos Nest VS. the Grapes of Wrath -...

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOOS NEST VS. GRAPES OF WRATH - COMPARATIVE ESSAY - ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ENGLISH GRADE 12 False riches, consisting of money, houses and lands, acquired by selfish means at cost to others and thereafter used selfishly, are almost always used for the oppression of other people – (Joseph Franklin Rutherford). One Flew over the Cookoo’s Nest (Ken Kesey) and the Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck) are two novels about oppression, rebellion and self-sacrifice. Both protagonists have been disenfranchised by oppressive societies in which people are segregated into classes and all power centralized; however, both are led to salvation and escape their confinement. The books protagonists have been†¦show more content†¦Tom Joad witnesses the police officers kill Jim and kills a police officer in turn. He flees the scene and starts his new meaning in life to band together a workers union. Tom Joad, takes the morals Jim Casy has bestowed upon him and moves town to town banding together workers trying to make a union. He realized he was deprived of all power and the only way to do this was to start a rebellion. â€Å"I got thinkin’ how we was holy when we was one thing, an’ makin’ 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 holiness. 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† - Jim Casy (GOW) This quote explains Tom and Jim’s philosophy on how work should be done and how people should be paid. Tom doesn’t see this at first but after Jim enlightens him he follows his ways. The quote means that if one man is working for another man there will always be someone unhappy, but if each man is working in unison for each other they will all be pleased. Tom takes this theory and starts a workers union to fight against the landowners low wages, this is the only way Tom can take back his deprived power. Each