From Self-Concentration to Concern for Humanity in Grapes of Wrath At one point in the novel, The Grapes of Wrath, it is stated that a farmer he had lost his farm. As this man's family packs their belongings and heads west, they encounter another family facing a similar situation. Now these two families share a common bond. A brotherhood is forming. This is the catalyst. It is no longer about one farmer saying he has lost his land, but about two united farmers saying they have lost their land. The transformation from self-centeredness to concern for humanity can be seen in the characters of Ma Joad, Tome, and Rose of Sharon. Ma Joad's main concern at the beginning of the story is her family. He wants to keep the unit together and works diligently to achieve this goal. However, one by one, family members leave the group for various reasons leading to the slow but sure disintegration of the Joad clan. The first to leave is Noah; then grandfather and grandmother die; Connie leaves and leaves Rose of Sharon; Young Tom leaves because he has gotten into trouble again; and Al gets engaged and decides to go with his fiancée's family. Mom deals with every loss the best way she can. As the story progresses, we find that Ma Joad cares more and more about people outside the family unit. He feels the need to share his family's meager food and belongings with other families facing hardship. He saw the needs of his family at the beginning of the story and at the end of the novel he sees the needs of his fellow man. Young Tom appears to be self-centered when he is first introduced. He just got out of prison after serving four years for murder. Tom wants to enjoy life to the fullest and be with his family. He is very upset to find the family home deserted and almost destroyed. At this point, he became reacquainted with Jim Casey, a former preacher. The more Tom listens to Jim and his opinions on life, the soul of man and the human community, the less he focuses on himself and his needs. He then begins to focus on the plight and abuse of homeless farmers. Tom begins to realize that for migrant workers to survive and succeed they must unite.