John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath (1939) is a novel that explores and highlights the modern gender roles of his generation, it is also one which 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 leering of women’s independence, it being a time of awakening for many women which is something The Grapes of Wrath portrays. The depression was an era of change, change, particularly for women as they had to invade the generalized male roles and consider employability in order to attempt to improve life at home. Whilst exploring set gender roles of the thirties Steinbeck reinforces the idea that being a domestic mother comes with a surviving function and 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 females. He expressed how stereotypes created this idea that women’s 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 objectification of female characters, Ma Joad and Rose of Sharon, as well as criticism within Jenn Williamson’s ‘His home is not the land’ and Gladstein’s ‘The indestructible woman in Faulkner, Hemmingway, and Steinbeck’, there is evidential factors revealed that Steinbeck’s novel had an intense focal point of gender roles as well as the highlighting of the destruction of them throughout the Dust Bowl of 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 end far stronger than they are at the beginning of the novel. During 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. She never expresses her own thoughts 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 is a humble one who 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 have left with people she doesn't know due to maternal instinct. Her role in contrast with the men in the novel is shown when Tom comes home from prison with Casey and questions arise about whether or not if he can travel with the family. As ‘Ma looked to Tom to speak, because he was a man, but Tom did not...and then she said, ‘Why, we’d be proud to have you. ‘Course I can’t say right now [...] maybe we better not say till all the men come.’ (Steinbeck 127) she waited for the male 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, which shook her husband as it was such a 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 showed a sign of respect for the first time of a woman. This section allowed insight to what was to come throughout the rest of the novel, this was a turning point for Ma being allowed into the circle and making a decision with the males.
Save your time!
We can take care of your essay
- Proper editing and formatting
- Free revision, title page, and bibliography
- Flexible prices and money-back guarantee
Another important section relevant to the heightened 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 figure of the women of the thirties through doing so Steinbeck highlights the female's roles alongside explaining they are far more important than how they are seen during his time. 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 to the controversial ending. She is self-centered at times by not showing affection for the child she is carrying and doesn’t want to help Ma with household duties, like Ma’s 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 using the fact that they are respected as mothers to her advantage of being protected. When the journey set 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 honored 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) Although the women are from the beginning inferior when they become mothers they are protected at all costs, therefore, are respected - this section shows that the family follows the traditional gender roles but as the novel goes on and more change occurs in their life the rules loosen and the women actually receive a place upfront with the driver. Here Steinbeck is exploring the idea that in the modern man's mind there is no space for prejudice in regard to gender roles as the Depression was a time where many were experiencing the same trauma.
Rose of Sharon’s 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 she is abandoned and her original strength embodied through her husband is taken away she is now abandoned. 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 she has learned from Ma which is also shown discreetly in the narrative as throughout the novel she is described as ‘girl’ but towards the end like her mother is then described as ‘woman’. The Grapes of Wrath ends with 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 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 and creates optimistic visions, to end with two women who are illiterate as the hero figures creating positivity within a bad situation shows how women through Steinbeck's writing are beings which are always on guard and have the ability to handle anything that life throws at them they are true models of survival.
The novel expresses the contrast of power within 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 to discover their opinion is just as important as a man’s, 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 of both roles as the male authority weakens which created strong-minded female characters rising to the challenge and portrays a weak American patriarch.
Stuck on your essay?
