The Grapes of Wrath

by

John Steinbeck

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Muley Graves Character Analysis

A neighbor of the Joads in Oklahoma, Muley Graves compulsively refuses to leave his land despite having been evicted. He hides on his former land, sleeping wherever he can, hunting for food, and remembering his own and his family’s personal history with the land. Muley also imparts advice to Tom about the repercussions of standing up to the authorities and then finding yourself hunted, foreboding Tom’s eventual situation.
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Muley Graves Character Timeline in The Grapes of Wrath

The timeline below shows where the character Muley Graves appears in The Grapes of Wrath. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 6
Dignity, Honor, and Wrath Theme Icon
Powerlessness, Perseverance, and Resistance Theme Icon
Family, Friendship, and Community Theme Icon
An old neighbor, Muley Graves, is spotted as he walks through the cotton fields by Casy and Tom. They... (full context)
Dignity, Honor, and Wrath Theme Icon
Powerlessness, Perseverance, and Resistance Theme Icon
Family, Friendship, and Community Theme Icon
Muley keeps talking, only semi-coherently, about his compulsion to stay on the land, even though he,... (full context)
Dignity, Honor, and Wrath Theme Icon
Powerlessness, Perseverance, and Resistance Theme Icon
...searchlights to avoid being arrested for trespassing. Tom wants to put up a fight, but Muley tells him that he doesn’t understand how bad it is to be hunted and forces... (full context)
Chapter 8
Faith and Guilt Theme Icon
Tom and Casy continue towards Uncle John’s house. Tom has been awoken early by Muley, who fearfully warns them to get off the land by daybreak. As he and Casy... (full context)
Chapter 10
Dignity, Honor, and Wrath Theme Icon
Powerlessness, Perseverance, and Resistance Theme Icon
Family, Friendship, and Community Theme Icon
Muley comes by to pay his respects to the family before they leave. Pa offers Muley... (full context)
Dignity, Honor, and Wrath Theme Icon
Powerlessness, Perseverance, and Resistance Theme Icon
Family, Friendship, and Community Theme Icon
Muley’s stubbornness makes Grampa determined to stay as well, and he resists his family’s efforts to... (full context)