As Strong as Steel: Ma Joad

       

      The character Ma Joad in The Grapes of Wrath plays a very important role in the book.  Ma is a very strong woman, who eventually takes charge of the family.  When looking at a piece of steel, it is a perfect representation of Ma.  Steel is very strong, and even though it may get beaten down, it still has the strength to carry on and continue to be the stronghold of, for example, a big building.  Like a dented piece of steel, Ma has to deal with a lot of hardships in her life.  She went from having all her family under one roof, to having her son Tom sent to jail for killing a man.  This was a terrible event for Ma, because it meant that she did not know when she would see her son again.  More terrible events occur; the land is no longer fertile and the Joads are forced to look for work elsewhere, so like thousands of other families, they venture on to California to look for work.  This kills Ma, '"I never had my house pushed over, I never had my fambly stuck out on the road.  I never had to sell-everything," it is evident that Ma is hurting inside, but because of her strong nature, she does not show her emotions outside so that she would not scare her family (page 77).  Ma's strong nature shows again when she "tried to look back, but the body of the load cut off her view. She straightened her head and peered straight ahead along the dirt road" (page 114).  This passage shows that Ma is trying to look behind at her past life that she loved, but the present day event got in front of her view of the past, symbolizing that the past was no more, and that the present was now there and there was no going back.  Ma, although very hurt inside, has come to this realization and looks forward to the future.  Like steel that gets bent and worn over time, Ma has many heart-wrenching moments that beat her up inside and leave permanent scars on her heart, but also like the steel, Ma never gives up and always remains on her feet and keeps holding her family together and stays strong.

Source:    
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