An anonymous speaker once said, “If you love something, let it go.” » This statement provides justification for why people should release their loved ones, despite their personal desires, for the well-being of the other. This is a fundamental truth of the world; if one truly loves another, he must let the other pursue his wishes. However, the way in which John Steinbeck manipulates this concept to violently sever the tangible connection between Tom Joad and the audience towards the end of The Grapes of Wrath is unacceptable. Not only is the reader forced to wish farewell to the character who had become a part of his heart, but he is also not given a substantial explanation of Tom's future. The departure of the dynamic main character, Tom Joad, in The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is insufficient because it is disturbingly brutal and inconclusive. Mainly, the firing of Tom Joad, the main character in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, is unsatisfying because it's sudden and shocking. The audience reads about 500 pages devoted to the development of Tom Joad and is growing...