The Grapes of Wrath

The story starts with a young man, Tommy Joad hitching a ride from a truck driver. Tommy informs the driver that he has been released from prison for homicide; a fancy name for killing a man. After Tommy leaves the truck he picks up a turtle that was knocked off of the highway by a passing truck. Joad decides to take the turtle home as a gift for his brothers. While Tommy is walking home he stumbles upon his former preacher Jim Casy under a tree. Jim informs Joad that he no longer has the holy spirit, but instead he has a new belief in a human spirit. Jim and Tommy decide to walk together to Tommy's home. When the two men reach Tommy's house they find that nobody is around and the house has been destroyed. Muley Graves stumbles upon the men and tells them that he has been running and hiding and that Tommy's family has moved to his uncle John's house and are preparing to leave for California. Muley informs them that the banks have come in and forced everybody to leave their homes because of the great depression happening at the time. Tommy and Jim decide that they will travel to John's house the following morning. Muley will not go with them because he will never leave his land that has been in his family for generations. The next morning, the two men leave and begin walking to Tommy's uncle's house.