Grapes of Wrath :: Essays Papers

Grapes of Wrath4 In John Steinback’s masterpiece novel, The Grapes of Wrath, the novelist uses Ma as the loving, caring, and physical backbone of the family. She is the prime example of the novel’s theme: in order for survival to be successful, people must join together and form a "we" environment as oppose to an "I" environment. Her strength that she instills throughout the novel, her leadership role that she has to help keep the family together, and her love she nourishes to her family shows the readers the true meaning of Ma as Steinback expresses her. Her outstanding characteristic is the essential need for the family’s unity. As the emotional and physical backbone of the Joad family, Ma demonstrates her leadership skills throughout the journey to California. There were many situations in the story, in which, the family began to drift apart and Ma would shift to a position of active leadership. Ironically, the father is usually the head of the family, but as the days continue in the long journey to California, Ma develops into the role of the father. Some situations in which Ma shows her leadership role is when they are camped at the Colorado River, she wields a skillet when confronting an officer who orders the family to leave. "Ma’s face blackened with anger. She got slowly to her feet. She stooped to the utensil box and picked out the iron skillet." Another situation, where Ma’s control is used, is when they are traveling and Rose of Sharon talk’s about living with Connie in a town. "Well, we talked all about it, me an’ Connie. Ma, we wanna live in a town." After hea ring her story, Ma became in a state of shock, proclaiming "We don’ want you to go ‘way from us. It ain’t good for folks to break up." Ma demonstrates her leadership and love by telling Rose of Sharon that she should stay with the family and not go off with Connie and begin a new life. Although Ma is seen as a leader, it does not mean she is motivated to be one. Her primary desire is to continue nurturing the family and keeping it together. "Twenty families became one family, the group was welded to one thing." Ma’s primary responsibility is to take care of her family and to provide them food, upraise, support, and love.