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Stereotypes In The Grapes Of Wrath By John Steinbeck

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Gender and the stereotypes that accompany this topic have played an immense role in history. Throughout history, the stereotypical family unit consists of a man being the head of the household, being the dominant and steadfast leader. It also favors women and children in a submissive role more focused on preserving the family within the household. These themes are extremely present in Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. The Joad family which the story focuses on is a lower-class farm family in the Dust Bowl Era. The Dust Bowl era came with severe economic and agricultural damage that hurt families in the same social standing as the Joads and challenged their unity. Gender and traditional stereotypes play a large role in the construction of …show more content…

Ma plays the role of the glue attempting to hold the family together. Earlier in the novel when the car breaks down, Tom suggests the family splits up for a short amount of time. Ma responds with violence, and upon realizing the family is being broken down by outside forces, chooses to take the leading role. Ma does not pretend to be an early feminist, as she does not take on this role as a way of making this shift in familial power a norm. However, she takes on this role as she sees it as a necessity when Pa seems to lose a piece of himself when he can no longer play the leader. At the end of the novel, only Ma and Rose of Sharon remain in the focus of the novel. Rose of Sharon shows her character development in the last chapter by allowing a dying man to drink her breast milk. This challenges the stereotype of a man being the one to provide for women and children. It also implies that women are the source of life, giving Rose of Sharon an extremely important role. Ma and Rose no longer play a submissive role as there are no longer men to follow in suit of. Steinbeck opposes the traditional family structure that he introduced in the beginning of the novel and instead portrays Ma and Rose of Sharon as the core of the

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John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath has become an American classic in its seventy-eight years of existence due to its accurate interpretation of the struggles faced by midwestern farmers and their journey west. The book is formatted using intercalary chapters, which tell a broader story than just the narrative. This is a strong decision that enhances the novel with expertly executed figurative language and furthers the plot by giving explanations to past events. Steinbeck’s choice to use this structure is quite beneficial and is partially to blame for the novel’s literary credibility.

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A mother and son relationship is something that shows how strong a bond is with a mother and her first born son. In John Steinbeck's novel "The Grapes of Wrath," the relationship between Ma and Tom Joad is a central theme. As mother and son, they share a deep bond, and their relationship evolves throughout the novel. At the beginning of the story, Tom is more involved in the family's plans of travel but as we dig deeper in the novel Ma becomes more incharge of the family. Ma Joad is a strong and resilient character who serves as the emotional anchor for the family.

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“The Grapes of Wrath” takes place during the great depression: which was a substantial economic downside in United States history. At the same time, racism continues in the United States. The Okies are very talented farmers and most of them travel along route 66 to hope for a better life, but something was waiting for them that was unexpected to these people. They did not receive any governmental supports they were ignorant, and this makes native people easier to realize Okies as an outsider also they found menial and low paying jobs. Steinbeck implies that man turns against another human for the survival of the fittest; therefore, they do not mind to put another human in a situation that is challenging to survive.

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It’s difficult to get kicked out of a land you have lived in for so long and end up having nowhere to go. In this novel, Grapes of Wrath, written by John Steinbeck, shows Tom Joad’s journey with his family to a new place where they've never been. They travel from Oklahoma to California and encounter a lot of hardship. Tom Joad is the main character in the story and is portrayed in the beginning as someone who can’t control their anger. He shows development in managing his anger issues as a result of his family’s unwavering emotional support.

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Not only does Rose of Sharon take on a responsible role within the Joad family, but she takes on the responsibility of a stranger. When the Joad family finds a barn to hide from the flood, they encounter a man dying of starvation. Rather than ignore the man, like she likely would have previously done, Rose of Sharon breastfeeds him. Steinbeck depicts the interaction between them in a caring tone: “Her hand moved behind his head and supported it. Her fingers moved gently in his hair” (455).

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She is the main female character of the novel and is the leader of the family. She would never let the family spit up. In Chapter 16, Tom suggests that the family should go to California while him and Casy stay behind and fix their car. Ma responds with “‘On’y way you gonna get me to go is whup me.’… ‘An’ I’ll shame you, Pa.’”

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John Steinbeck, in the novel, Grapes of Wrath, identifies the hardships and struggle to portray the positive aspects of the human spirit amongst the struggle of the migrant farmers and the devastation of the Dust Bowl. Steinbeck supports his defense by providing the reader with imagery, symbolism and intense biblical allusions. The author’s purpose is to illustrate the migrant farmers in order to fully exploit their positive aspects in the midst of hardships. Steinbeck writes in a passionate tone for an audience that requires further understanding of the situation.

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Due to disasters made by mankind and the natural world, many people are forced to leave their homeland in search for a new place to settle in. Just as the Joads and all the other migrant workers are constantly turned away, the refugees and immigrants of today are treated unequally and viewed as problems. John Steinbecks, The Grapes of Wrath tells the story of a family faced with prejudice and discrimination. Discrimination and prejudice are themes in this novel that are quite prevalent. During the time that Steinbeck wrote this novel, there were masses of people roaming the country in search for work.

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