The Joads have been at the camp for a month and the only work that they found was Tom's five days worth. Everyone in the family was getting hungry and sick. The Joads then decide to pack up and leave. Before they leave though, Tom says his goodbye to his friend, Jule. Jule suggests that if the migrant people had a leader, and all got together to form a union, then the cops could not push them around anymore. As the Joads are on their way up North to look for work, their car gets a flat tire. As Tom and Al are fixing it, a guy pulls over on the road and tells them that there is work up North picking peaches. They evemtually get to the place that offers work picking peaches, and find out that it provides housing. The whole family got involved in picking peaches for work. That night, Tom went to explore the area. Tom found Casey, who was leading a protest outside the area. Casey is protesting because the wages drop from five cents a box to two and a half cents a box once more people start coming in. After Casey and Tom talk for a little while, a cop comes and kills Casey for being a lead protestor. Tom reacts by killing the cop that killed Casey. Tom received a busted up face from the other cop, but somehow managed to get away. The next day, Tom went into hiding, because he would be caught immediately if people saw his face. Also the next day, the wages drop from five cents a box to two and a half cents a box, just as Casey said they would. The Joads find out that the word on the street is that Tom killed the cop before the cop hit Casey. The Joads decide to leave the area, with Tom hiding in the back of the truck. They drive down the road a little ways, and see a "Cotton Pickers Wanted" sign. There are old abandoned cars to live in for shelter. The Joads decide to stay there, and live in the cars and pick cotton. Tom decided that he will hide out in the woods until his face is better, and then he will join the rest of the family in work.
Two Important Themes (Underlined above)
1. One important theme of this chapter is the migrants coming together as one to form a protest, or a union against the authorities. We see this theme when Jule and Tom are saying goodbye to each other, and Jule says that the migrants should all get together, and then the cops could not push them around anymore. Also we see this theme whenever we find out that Casey is the leader of a protest against the authorities.
2. Another important theme of chapter 26 is abusive authority. We see this theme when the cop kills Casey for leading the protest. We also see it when the cops spin the story around, and make it seem as though Tom is the one who struck first.
Two Questions for this Chapter
1. What causes the tire to go flat on the road?
2. Who is leading the protest outside of the camp?
1. On page 353 Ma Joad says to Tom, "You got more sense Tom. I don't need to make you feel mad. I got to lean on you. Them others - they're kinda strangers, all but you. You won't give up Tom."
2. On page 384, Casey says to Tom, "Cops cause more trouble than they stop."
Compare and Contrast
Comparison: This chapter is like chapter number 20 because of the abusive authority involved. In chapter 20, the cops burn down the camps and tents that people were living in. In this chapter, a cop kills Casey because he is leading a protest. This reminds me of the cops in the south during the civil rights movement that would beat the black people trying to march and stand up for their rights.
Contrast: This chapter can also be contrasted to an event in chapter 20. The even that contrasts is at the end, when Tom is able to hold back when the cop aggrivates him. In chapter 26, Tom also faces a lot of aggrivation from a cop, when the cop kills Casey. This time however, Tom cannot hold back, and he kills the cop. This event reminds me of America's involvment during WWII. At first, America was able to stay out of the war. Then when America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by Japan, America could not hold back anymore and got involved in the war.