... bowl developed and pushed the farmers out of the western plains states in the first few chapters of the book. 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 ... 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...

• Word Count: 1294
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... of unity and acts accordingly as the primary cohesive force to keep her family together to ensure survival on their strenuous journey to California. From the beginning, Steinbeck immediately establishes Ma Joad as the center building block of family unity. When Tom first sees his mother for the first time since his imprisonment, she is described as "the citadel of the family ... " her. She can get buried in a nice green place. Trees around" an" a nice place. She got to lay her head down in California. (311). After listening to Ma Joad, Casy is filled with admiration for Ma's extraordinar...

• Word Count: 1488
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... women in Of Mice and Men is the exact opposite of how he portrayed Ma. 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 ... of the family but usually the father was the central figure. Another issue dealt in both books is the cruelty of the world. The Joad family ha...

• Word Count: 2022
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... on social motives, and became an influence on society (Owens 1). In The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck's social philosophy is expressed primarily by Jim Casy, acted on by Ma Joad, and eventually realized by Tom Joad (CliffsNotes 10). Although the characters are socialistic figures, they remain distinctly American in their beliefs. Steinbeck's social thought is based upon three strands of 19th century American ... accordance with socialist belief, that all humans are a part of a whole. Steinbeck's strong transcendentalist inclination also stressed rugged individualism and self reliance as ess...

• Word Count: 1670
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... food supplies ran low. The weather and the drilling sun wore down the determination of many and some simply gave in. One amazing aspect of the Joad's family to almost an unnatural extent is their ability to remain positive along the way. When Grandpa dies the Joads meet the Wilsons who share ... for the deeds committed against the law enforcers (Palmer 3). When the Joads reached the Hooverville camp they barely had enough food to eat for themselves but Ma was generous enough to give food to the starving children from around the camp (Hinton 2). This display of love and caring for others ...

• Word Count: 1628
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... main theme of the book is the fear of loneliness and the need to dream that all men innately have. It is very similar to the bond which the Joad family has in The Grapes of Wrath. However, the Joads are a family of evicted sharecroppers traveling to California to become migrant workers, and that sets them apart ... but it shows that white and black men have some things in common. The issue of prejudice, especially against women, is dealt with in The Grapes of Wrath. Ma Joad is an exemplary woman of strength, dedication, conviction, and love. Over the course of the book, she actually repl...

• Word Count: 1752
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... was only portrayed as a silly pregnant and there was no opportunity to understand her point of view or her personality. The character of Ma Joad was more developed than Rose of Sharon but the reader only learns about Ma through what the male characters thought and said about her. It is safe to say that John Steinbeck's inability to understand women was reflected ... ...

• Word Count: 1509
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School