The Grapes of Wrath: Character Roles & Responsibilities

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…personal concern to a larger concern for all of humanity. As the Joads deteriorate economically, they seem to enlarge their view of humanity. This selflessness is not immediate, however; over the course of the novel several characters advance from affected altruism to unconscious generosity. Therefore, in the largest view, the decline of the family and the decline of the economic situation are accompanied by an increase in and acceptance of a larger view of humanity.