Meet the Cast
Jim Nolan
Lost SoulWhen we first meet Jim Nolan, there's not much left of him. He's just gone through the most dehumanizing period of his life: he's spent 30 days in jail on a bum vagrancy charge, and he's d...
MacLeod (Mac)
The Ultimate UtilitarianMac has the best possible description of any character in this book. Steinbeck calls him "a large man, with the face of a scholarly prize-fighter" (14). This strange duality...
Doc Burton
A Real Stand-Up Guy Mac has worked with Doc Burton many times over the years, but still he knows very little about the Doc's motivations. It might also strike us as funny that Doc doesn't seem to b...
London
The Strong, Silent TypeOur initial impression of London is, well, pretty sparse. When Mac asks the men around the campfire at the orchard about London, he gets this: "London's a good guy—a big gu...
Joy
One Card Short of a Full DeckFrom the moment we meet Joy, we know that something serious has happened to him. Mac explains to Jim that old Joy can't shake hands with him, but not to take offense. J...
Dakin
Never Trust a Man with Good Teeth...Steinbeck's first description of Dakin is designed to make us not like this guy. He has "veiled eyes" and an "immobile mouth." He and his wife live in obvious co...
Al Anderson
Soft and ComfortableSteinbeck portrays Al Anderson as a comfortable, middle-class business owner with a cautiously rebellious streak. Al represents a social middle ground in the novel: he has his o...
Anderson
In a Tight SpotUnlike his businessman son, Al, old Anderson is not prospering in his affairs. He's a small farmer surrounded by huge orchards owned by three wealthy and powerful families. And that'...
Dan
Just Another Grumpy Old Man?Steinbeck has a way of showing us more than one philosophy or point of view in this book. He also has no desire to play favorites. Like Doc Burton, he wants to get at th...
Sam
"They Don't Make 'Em No Better"Maybe weirdest thing about Sam isn't his love of violence and his general dedication to mayhem. It's really that London and Mac think he's a super guy. London, in fac...
Dick
Yeah, Steinbeck totally has some 6th-grade-level fun with this character, who uses his good looks to extract donations of money, food, and supplies for the Party's activities. When Mac finds a plat...
Lisa
Useful. And Cute.London's daughter-in-law really doesn't play much of a role in this novel—we don't care how much hype Selena Gomez is getting for playing the role in the 2016 movie adaptation. S...