Grapes Of Wrath Character Analysis

Jasmine Sung 5/31/14 P3 A Strengthening Role

“Jesus Christ, one person with their mind made up can shove a lot of folks aroun'! You win, Ma.” This quote originates from Tom Joad after Ma had revolted against the family when they suggested the idea of splitting up. Ma stubbornly picked up a jack handle and waved it at the Joad family, including the normal head of the family, Pa. Ma's outbreak was astonishing to the Joads and marked the beginning of her fierce leadership of the family and the degradation of Pa's role as the head man. Throughout the tale of the Joads' migration to California, Ma had begun as a timid woman without having much say in the family decisions, but steadily took
In The Grapes of Wrath, Ma is without doubt the one who holds the Joad family together because she is the primary caretaker of everybody in the family and constantly pushes them until they achieve work and suitable living conditions. Ma is the primary caretaker of everyone, but a few instances stand out more than others. Though Ma is sassy to her pregnant daughter, Rose of Sharon, she also comforts her at the Weedpatch government camp when Rose of Sharon is upset about Connie, the father of her growing child, leaving her. Ma takes Rose of Sharon to the dance at the camp and promises not to allow anyone to touch her so she can enjoy the music without having to dance. They end up enjoying the night by each others' side. Ma also comforts her other daughter, Ruthie, in an important scene where Ruthie gets in a fight with another girl and ends up bragging that her older brother, Tom Joad, is currently hiding and wanted by police. An example of Ma's compassion for Ruthie in this situation is when Ma warns Pa that Ruthie told about Tom hiding. Pa calls Ruthie a “little bitch” and Ma retorts, “No, she didn' know what she was a-doin'.” Ruthie knows that she should not have
Her care and concern for her family is apparent throughout the whole book because of this constant pushing. An example is when Ma hurries them out of the comfortable Weedpatch government camp. Though the living conditions there were filled with toilets, showers, and hospitable people, Ma knew the Joad family could not stay there anymore while there was no work to be found. When Pa tells Ma that the reason the men don't like looking for work is because they know they won't find any, Ma replies fiercely, “You ain't got the right to get discouraged. This here fambly's goin' under. You jus' ain't got the right.” When she says “This here fambly's goin' under,” it can be understood that her main concern is the family. The men finally begin discussing where to drive to and Ma interrupts saying, “Well, we got to git goin', and goin' quick. I ain't a-settin' here no longer, no matter how nice.” This quote is important because it shows that Ma puts the family before her own happiness because she was comfortable living in the government camp, but knew the family would not survive. She pushes them to leave the camp immediately that night, in hopes of finding work to sustain them. Another scene in the book where Ma pushes her family towards better conditions is when they are at the peach camp. Ma knows that they cannot stay there because the low wages are barely enough