What is his purpose and why does Steinbeck put Noah in The
Grapes of Wrath?      Asked on  1 Answer | Add Yours  e-martin's
profile pic  Posted on (Answer #1)  Functionally and
superficially, Noah has several roles. We can also look at his
character thematically.   Functionally, Noah is the eldest son
and so should hold a certain position of authority in the
family. He does not fulfill the role assigned to this position
however as he is tempermentally incapable of doing so. He is
just not a leader. In this way, Tom becomes the leader of his
generation, having overcome this formal obstacle.   (Formal
obstacles and arbitrary hurdles often seem to get between Tom
and his goals. Overcoming them is part of his development and
part of what makes him the protagonist of the novel.) 
Superficially, Noah's presence brings the family number up to
twelve (Ma, Pa, Uncle John, Noah, Tom, Rose of Sharon, Connie,
Al, Winfield, Ruthie, Granpa, Granma). This has a Biblical
resonance when considered alongside the presence of t