Gender roles seem to have been written in stone from the beginning of time, wherein men are expected to remain resourceful leaders who arrange and execute decisions, as well as provide for their families. Women, on the other hand, are expected to obediently listen to their husbands and nurture children and cook for the family. These roles, however definite in the 1900s, shift between genders as circumstances grow demanding and difficult in John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, following the Joad family’s arduous journey to California during the Great Depression. As the Joads elude the dry devastation in Oklahoma, an apparent displacement of authority in the family arises, revealing the ideal adaptive and survival capabilities
…show more content…
Ma Joad is a strong portrayal of a woman claiming power in a male-dominated society. Not long into the journey, Ma steps forward to keep the family together when the Wilson’s car fails, boldly demanding, “I ain’t a-gonna go…on’y way you gonna get me to go is whup me” (168-169). She also threatens to assault anyone who stops her with a jack handle, placing her well-being on the line for the sake of the family. She also expresses emotional stability when Granma Joad passes away in the car. Rather than panicking and wailing, she keeps the death to herself, telling the officer at Daggett’s entrance, “Look, mister, we got a sick ol’ lady. We got to get her to a doctor. We can’t wait” (225). Her bravery enables the Joads to pass on to Daggett. Huerta 1 All this leads Pa, the now former leader of the Joads, to retreat into a state of silence and confusion, admitting, “Looks like women is telling now” (352). Unlike her mother, Rosasharn adheres to society’s expectations of a young woman, as she depends on her husband, Connie, for happiness and mopes over his absence when he abandons her, even though he is palpably a weak, disloyal man. She does not take others into consideration, constantly complaining about “things that don’t really matter” (144). When
Ma Joad is a strong portrayal of a woman claiming power in a male-dominated society. Not long into the journey, Ma steps forward to keep the family together when the Wilson’s car fails, boldly demanding, “I ain’t a-gonna go…on’y way you gonna get me to go is whup me” (168-169). She also threatens to assault anyone who stops her with a jack handle, placing her well-being on the line for the sake of the family. She also expresses emotional stability when Granma Joad passes away in the car. Rather than panicking and wailing, she keeps the death to herself, telling the officer at Daggett’s entrance, “Look, mister, we got a sick ol’ lady. We got to get her to a doctor. We can’t wait” (225). Her bravery enables the Joads to pass on to Daggett. Huerta 1 All this leads Pa, the now former leader of the Joads, to retreat into a state of silence and confusion, admitting, “Looks like women is telling now” (352). Unlike her mother, Rosasharn adheres to society’s expectations of a young woman, as she depends on her husband, Connie, for happiness and mopes over his absence when he abandons her, even though he is palpably a weak, disloyal man. She does not take others into consideration, constantly complaining about “things that don’t really matter” (144). When