Women In John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath

In the twentieth century, women were known to be the less dominant figure in the family. The men were seen as the ones who kept the family stable for they were the physically strong ones and the hard workers in the family. Nowadays, women are becoming the independent and self reliant figures in society. In The Grapes of Wrath written by John Steinbeck, Ma Joad, the motherly figure, holds a depictive role in the novel. In the beginning of the book, the male figures were the ones who kept the family together and were seen as the more dominant figures. Yet, as the story progresses, the men in the family become weak, and many even stay behind on the journey to California. Noah Joad, the oldest son, stays behind because he falls in love with the …show more content…
For if they do, they might get hit with a chicken or whatever she is holding in her hand at the time. Throughout her life, Ma has experienced so much and has gained an intuition from those experiences. Tom first notices this when he comes back from prison, “Her hazel eyes seemed to have experienced all possible tragedy and to have mounted pain and suffering like steps into a high calm and a superhuman understanding” (100). Ma has seen a great deal in her life that her skin has grown so thick; it is almost impenetrable so that nothing will break her or her spirits down. Ma Joad has suffered through the death of Grampa and Granma and other hardships along with the rest of her family. But her maternal, protective qualities and selfless nature make her the backbone of the family. Her strength keeps the family together because she keeps pushing them to live and will not let them give …show more content…
Much like Beyonce, Ma believes in taking control and fighting for what she believes in. Beyonce voices, “We need to reshape our perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead.” Women around the world are overcoming cliches and becoming their own leader. Throughout her journey Ma rises above gender stereotypes and becomes the leader of her family. As a motherly figure, she gains knowledge and skills that are needed to be a leader. She is a compassionate, loving, and a powerful woman. She helps others in need by giving them food and supplies, even if she is low on them herself. Her family relies on her to keep pushing and persisting on their travel through the dust bowl to California. In the novel, The Grapes of Wrath written by John Steinbeck, Ma starts off a strong woman and only gets stronger as the story progresses. She is the reason the Joad family has been able to stay in unity through all their