The Joad family decided to move to California because of an advertisement Ma Joad received advertising jobs picking crops. Before the dust bowl, the roles of men and women were traditional. The men did the hard work outside of the home, and the women worked in their homes. One early event that foreshadows the change in gender roles so apparent at the end of the book is when Casy salts the meat with Ma Joad and she wants him to stop because she considers that “women’s work”. Later in the story, at Weedpatch farm, the women had to work right

It was not just the women who became stronger in adversity. Tom’s character became stronger as he became more compassionate toward others. Tom was very reluctant to take on the responsibility of the troubles of mankind. Tom learned from Jim Casy that another person’s problems become our own and the only thing we can control is our reaction to it. There were many examples in the book that show people who are selfish and spiteful or people who want to take advantage of another man’s hardship. Steinbeck does a great job of showing how goodness prevails and doing the right thing is never a bad decision, even if it does not turn out the way we want it to.

Rose of Sharon’s character also goes through a big transition. She went from being high-spirited to being mysterious and serene. Her pregnancy may have been a metaphor for the new personality she was developing while she was dealing with the many hardships she had to endure. By the end of the story she became really saintly.

When Connie left Rose of Sharon she was upset, but even in the sadness of losing her baby she was able to go outside of herself and give herself to others.

Some topics in this essay:
Ma Joad, Jim Casy, Rose Sharon’s, Grandpa Joad, California Steinbeck, Rose Sharon, Tom Joad, Pa Joad, Uncle John’s, Pa Joad’s, ma joad, grandpa joad, jim casy, pa joad, feed family, joad family, dust bowl, ma joad received, joad died, family families, joad grandpa, grandpa joad died,