The Grapes of Wrath Uncle John

Back in the day, Uncle John had a wife, but Uncle John refused to get a doctor for her when she requested one, thus causing her death, and John has never forgiven himself for this. Uncle John considers what he did to be a sin, and constantly attempts to make amends for it in any way he can. "He figures it's his fault his women died. Funny fella. He's all the time makin' it up to somebody givin' kids stuff, droppin' a sack meal on somebody's porch. Give away about ever'thing he got, an' still he ain't very happy. Gets walkin' around alone at night sometimes. He's a good farmer, though. Keeps his lan' nice." (Steinbeck 69) Basically he heavily regrets his sin, and has never been the same since. After an extended period of time with Casy, who is an ex preacher, Uncle John decides to ask Casy for his opinion on the matter. "You think it was a sin to let my wife die like that?" "Well," said Casy, "for anybody else it was a mistake, but if you think it was a sin then it's a sin. A fella builds his own sins right up from the groun'." "I got to give that a goin' over," (Steinbeck 225) This was kind of a turning point in his life, it seemed as if he might be able to finally get his life back in order. Then Casy got arrested, and having no one to converse his sin with, Uncle John went off and got drunk. Thus putting him back where he started. It also didn't help that he tried to get help from the family, but they told him that they didn't want the burden of his sins. "Uncle Johns eyes were tired and sad. "I been secret all my days," he said. "I done things I never tol' about." Ma turned from the fire. "Don' go tellin' John," she said. "Tell 'em to god. Don' go burdenin' other people with your sins. That ain't decent." (Steinbeck 267) So he might be able to fix his life if given enough time, but that is something that will never be known.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.