In The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, Tom Joad is the protagonist. After serving four years in prison for murder, he is finally out on parole. When Tom is first introduced, he is portrayed as a negative character. Tom is stubborn and likes things to go his way. At the beginning of the novel, Tom lives his life day by day, the future concerns him. Throughout the novel, Tom evolves from a man only interested in his own independent personal needs and desires to someone who is devoted to his family and is willing to sacrifice his personal comfort for their benefit. By the end of the novel, Tom Joad has transformed from a negative character to a positive one, concerned about the future of his nation and the families struggling to live there. At the beginning of the novel, Tom Joad is presented as a hanger-on. hiker who had just been released from prison. Right away, Tom is shown in a negative light compared to the truck driver. When a bee flew into the cabin, the driver calmly drove it out the window. When a grasshopper was on the dashboard, Tom crushed it with ...