The novels The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain have similar themes in that a character's true strength and spirit are revealed through an emotionally and physically demanding journey. This in turn drives the reader to be more involved emotionally to the novel as the characters not only endure the most painful, sorrowful and terrifying experiences but also overcome them with a better understanding of their society and environment. This is especially evident in the characters Tom and Ma Joad from The Grapes of Wrath and Huck Finn from the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
             Tom Joad undergoes the most significant transformation as the novel The Grapes of Wrath progresses. When the reader first meets Tom, he has just returned home from prison with a philosophy to live day to day and not to dwell on the future, but to enjoy life as much as possible. Although not intentionally, his philosophy is somewhat selfish and immature in that he does not want concern himself the well being of others or his future because these things create a feeling of helplessness and anger in him. This "carpe diem" philosophy of Toms is shown in the lines,
             "Look Ma, stop worryin'. I'm a-gonna tell you sompin about bein' in the pen. You can't go thinkin'when you're gonna be out. You'd go nuts. You got to think about that day, an' the nex' day, about the ball game sat'dy. That's what you got to do." Pg. 117
             As the journey continues, Tom is faced with the death of his grandparents and the constant struggle to keep the family together and healthy. He overcomes these struggles with a new perspective on life. It becomes clear to him that he must worry about the future as the family enters California and Tom begins to understand that he must work in order to survive and feed his family.
             This lesson though, does not c...