Chapter 6

Tom Joad and Jim Casy reach the Joad homestead and find it smashed, stripped, and overgrown with cotton. Inside, the rooms are empty and vandalized, confirming to Tom that his family has gone. Details like the unhooked pig gate and untouched lumber suggest neighbors have also left.

A stray cat and Tom’s memories sharpen his sense that the area is deserted. As sunset falls, Muley Graves approaches. Pressed by Tom, Muley recounts how a tractor, driven by Willy Feeley, shoved the house aside despite Grampa’s rifle, and how the Joads hauled their belongings to Uncle John’s. He says the family has been chopping cotton to save for a car and plans to head west.

Muley rages at the landowners and the “monster” system that forced tenants off, yet admits he refused to leave and now lives like a hunted “graveyard ghost.” He shares trapped rabbits; Tom cleans and roasts them. Over the fire, Muley mourns the memories rooted in the land and confesses his loneliness. Casy reflects that migrants will need help beyond preaching and feels called to go with them.

As headlights approach, Muley instructs Tom and Casy to hide in the cotton, arguing confrontation will only jail Tom on parole. They lie low while a spotlight sweeps the field and then withdraws. Muley checks the house and confirms it’s clear.

Muley leads them to a sand-bottomed wash near a childhood cave Tom once dug. They settle in for the night, planning to walk to Uncle John’s at daybreak. Casy decides to accompany the Joads on the road.