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John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath (1939) is a novel that explores and highlights modern gender roles of the decade and also portrays Steinbeck’s modernized ideology towards the traditional patriarchal system during a time of great change. The proletarian novelist displayed his ability to perfectly portray the hardships faced during his experience of The Great Depression, allowing his readers to experience it through the eyes of his detailed and vivid characters. During the Depression there was what seemed to be an atmosphere nearing of womens independence; it was a time of awakening for many women which is something The Grapes of Wrath portrays. The Depression was an era of change, particularly for women as they had to invade the stereotypical male roles and consider employment to attempt to improve life at home. Whilst exploring set gender roles of the thirties Steinbeck reinforces the idea that being a domestic mother forms a surviving function and this is not degrading in any way. He also through Ma Joad and Rose of Sharon goes as far as to point out that the male roles are no more important than that of the women. He expressed how stereotypes created this idea that womens opinions were not as important, particularly through Ma Joad the readers of the thirties would have viewed just how important women are concerning decision-making. Through a detailed analysis of the female characters Ma Joad and Rose of Sharon, as well as criticism within Jenn Williamson His Home is Not the Land and Mimi Gladstein The Indestructible Woman in Faulkner, Hemmingway, and Steinbeck, there are evidential factors revealed that Steinbecks novel had an intense focal point of gender roles and highlights the destruction of Dust Bowl America which reflected the change, creating a need for a more modernized approach to what is considered male and female roles.
Although she is under a traditional patriarchal system Ma Joad is a strong force within the novel. She is the rock that holds the family together and continually makes the most out of tragic situations faced during her devastating yet self-made journey. Although the men of the family are weakened by the journey the female characters gain strength as they move forward. At the beginning of the novel, Ma Joad is the perfect submissive wife and displays many characteristics of a passive female with no intention to ever betray the head of their home, her husband Pa. To begin with, she never expresses her thoughts or doubts and is consistently waiting to be told or given a signal to talk, she is not allowed to speak her thoughts freely as her character has a humble trait she is described throughout narration as a strong mother figure but a figure who also follows the traditional gender roles of her time.
An image is created through Steinbeck’s narrative of a perfect wife submissive and family-orientated through Ma Joad she is trapped within the sphere of traditional roles and is seen to begin only as a wife and caretaker she is a nurturing mother to all. (Gladstein 1986, 77) For instance, she shares the little food the family has left with people she doesn’t know due to her maternal and nurturing instincts. Her submissive role regarding the male characters is shown when Tom comes home from prison with Casey and questions arise whether he can travel to California with the family. As Ma looked to Tom to speak, because he was a man, but Tom did not…and then she said, Why, wed be proud to have you. Course I cant say right now […] maybe we better not say till all the men come. (Steinbeck 127) While she had her own opinion on the matter, she waited for the male of the house to express his opinion first, and then expressed her mind after respecting the male authority. As readers move forward the males are in a discussion circle and Ma expresses her thoughts, shaking her husband with her powerful tone: I never heard tell of no Joads […] ever refusin food an shelter or a lift on the road to anybody. (Steinbeck 139) Through her assertiveness, the male figures wait for her to come back to the circle after this which shows a sign of respect for the first time of a womans thoughts. This section allowed insight into what was to come throughout the rest of the novel, this was a turning point for Ma being allowed into the circle of deciding.
Another important section relevant to the rebelling of traditional gender roles explored within The Grapes of Wrath is when Ma, unlike before, does not check before intrusively expressing her opinion, and this section is witnessed by everyone. The two families travel together when the car breaks down Casey and Tom decide that the families go on and they fix the motor which causes Ma to confront her husband, The whole group watched the revolt. They watched Pa, waiting for him to break into fury […]the group knew that Ma had one. And Ma knew it too. (Steinbeck 230) Fighting for her thoughts to be heard Ma breaks her assigned traditional role of the submissive and becomes a family leader. Ma in this section is expressing her need to keep the family together and safe as all they have is one another, her maternal instincts force her to speak out and brave the reaction of her husband who is now shown as too weak from the events of changes. To begin Ma is aware of the importance she holds in her family but continues to follow the hierarchical system even though she is detailed as somewhat a goddess Gladstein explains Her character rises from the book as much more than Mother Earth. (Gladstein 78), her description is far more detailed than other characters providing that her importance in the family is strong and creates a life-like image of the women of the thirties. Through doing so, Steinbeck highlights the female roles alongside explaining that they are far more important than how they were generally seen during the Depression. Ma Joad is a complex character and through defining her roles Steinbeck creates a modern view of women and their ability to multitask and lead in times of hardship.
Rose of Sharon unlike Ma (who always had a firm mind and ability to lead) goes on a journey of maturity from the beginning of the novel right up until the controversial ending. She is self-centered at times by not showing affection for the child she is carrying and doesnt want to help Ma with household duties. Like Mas change in roles to the head of the family Rose slowly but surely becomes more mature as the novel proceeds. Ma takes her child under her wing and educates her yet Rose continues to complain and uses the fact that they are respected as mothers to her advantage as she is consistently being protected. When the journey sets off the novel reads Had he not been fifty years old, and so one of the natural rulers of the family, Uncle John would have preferred not to sit in the honor place beside the driver. He would have liked Rose of Sharon to sit there. This was impossible because she was young and a woman. (Steinbeck 130) the women are from the beginning inferior when they become mothers, but they are protected at all costs and, therefore, are respected. This shows that the Joad family follows traditional gender roles although, as the novel progresses and more change occurs in their lives the rules loosen and the women receive a place up front with the driver. Here Steinbeck is exploring the idea that in the modern man’s mind, there is no space for prejudice about gender roles as the Depression was a time when many were experiencing the same trauma.
Rose of Sharons character is highly submissive and only lives for her husband’s dreams, she has none of her own, to begin with. She is seen as powerless and falls off of her husband’s thoughts, then he leaves her, and her original strength embodied through her husband is taken away. This creates a need for change, we then see that she soon becomes sensitive towards her unborn child, and she also helps the family and becomes more of a unit with her mother whom she has learned from. The change in her characters ability is also shown discreetly in the narrative as throughout the novel she is described as a girl but towards the end like her mother is then described as a woman.
The Grapes of Wrath ending shows Rose feeding a starving man [Rose] bared her breast […] She looked up and across the barn, and her lips came together and smiled mysteriously (Steinbeck 618-619). Creating a controversial scene that seems to perhaps explore Steinbeck’s modern view of gendered roles. His opinion is centered here as the last page is of two women creating a symbolic image of hope allowing optimistic visions to shine through, to end with two women as the heroic figures creating positivity within a bad situation, shows how women through Steinbeck’s writing are beings that are always on guard and have the ability to handle anything that life throws at them; they are true models of survival.
Steinbeck expresses contrasts of power shown through women and men during the thirties it shows that women become stronger with what they are surrounded by through protecting their family, whereas the men become weaker as their source of power is their land and ability to provide income for the family, which is taken away. Just as the family is on a journey so are Ma and Rose, as they both throughout their travels discover their opinion is just as important as a mans, their maternal instincts thrive, and they become a powerful source. In contrast to the male figures falling apart due to new surroundings, Steinbeck shows that through the Depression there is an equal opportunity for both roles as the male authority weakens which forms the creation of strong-minded female characters rising to the challenge and portrays an extremely weak American patriarch.
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