John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath

Abstract: In John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, the character of Ma Joad is the central female figure and is considered the emotional center of the family. By expanding the boundaries of her family and exhibiting a nurturing brand of humanism, she shows that women have personal power that influences and shapes the political reality around them. This 7 page paper argues that it is easy to classify the character of Ma Joad as simply portraying the traditional wife and mother. It is the expansion of her personal belief system into humanist action that justifies the thought that Steinbeck believes women can, and do, play important roles outside of the family structure. No additional sources are cited.

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