John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath relates in many ways to the Bible and the book of Exodus: the people torn from their homes, the journey towards a land "of milk and honey", Tom Joad representing Moses, Jim Casy symbolizing Moses, Aaron and Christ, and the troubles they face on their pilgrimage.
             At the start of the story, people are leaving the land that had belonged to their families for many generations. They had seen everything from birth to death and had fought for their crops. The Israelites had come to Egypt many years before and became established there. Eventually, a new Pharaoh came into power and disliked that they were growing so quickly in number, so the Israelites became the Egyptian's slaves on their own land.
             But their descendants had many children and grandchildren. In fact, they multiplied so quickly that they soon filled the land... So the Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves and put brutal slave drivers over them, hoping to wear them down under heavy burdens... (Ex. 1:7,11)
             Similarly, the Joads had become slaves to the bank due to their poverty. The dust robbed them of good harvests and they were forced to take out loan after loan until the bank owned "their" land. When the bank decided that it was not profitable to have the families managing the land anymore, there was nothing they could do but pack their belongings and leave.
             Grampa took up the land, and he had to kill the Indians and drive them away. And Pa was born here, and he killed weeds and snakes. Then a bad
             year came and he had to borrow a little money. An' we was born here. There in the door- our children born here. And Pa had to borrow money. The bank owned the land then, but we stayed and we got a little bit of what we raised. (Steinbeck 45)
             They were both heading for the Promised Land, California for the Joads and Canaan for the Israelites. Leaving was easier for the younger m...