Excluding Casy, the number of Joads who die or leave the family is

• A. Four
• B. Five
• C. Six
• D. Seven

Answer: (C)

This question tests tracking the Joads’ fates as they wander: count every Joad who dies or permanently leaves the family, and exclude the friend-ally Casy from the count.

If you go through the narrative and note each time a Joad is no longer part of the family unit—by death or by choosing to leave—you’ll reach six such fates. This isn’t about how many remain in the caravan at any one point, but about every instance a blood relative is no longer part of the Joads due to death or a permanent departure.

Four or Five would miss one or more of these fates, and Seven would include an event that isn’t a death or a permanent departure. Six is the total that fits the sequence of events, excluding Casy.