In the final chapters of the Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck performs a number of odd literary moves. Throughout the bulk of the novel Tom Joad appears to be the primary character. Tom is first person the reader gets to know well and, for the most part, the novel centers around him with Casy and the rest of the Joad family serving as secondary characters. However, this setup falls apart in chapter 28. In this chapter Ma informs Tom that Ruthie blabbed about the murders and Tom realizes that he must leave the area for the good of the family. At this point, not only does Tom leave his family but he also leaves the novel. As Ma emerges from Tom’s nest in the woods, she takes on the role of primary character and guides the reader through the rest of the narrative.
While Ma slowly builds power throughout the novel allowing the reader to accept the change she undergoes near the end of the story, it is Rose of Sharon’s role in the work that is most complex. Throughout the story Rose of Sharon is a relatively flat character whose roles include helping Ma and worrying about her pregnancy. While her child and future dreams with Connie hint at a new beginning for the Joad family, as a character she adds little to the progression of the narrative.
At the end of the novel everything appears to have fallen apart. Rose of Sharon loses the baby and all hopes of seeing Connie again. Tom and Al have left the family leaving Pa, Ma, Uncle John, Rose of Sharon and the children to weather the storm alone. In the final pages of the work, when the Joad family deserts their belonging and seeks shelter in the barn, they have nothing. Their dreams of a better life appear to have ended. And yet in the barn the Joad’s once again meet a family who is less stable then themselves. It is in this scene that Steinbeck allows Rose of Sharon, the seemingly insignificant character, to pull to the forefront and once again provide a glimmer of hope. While she lost her baby she can still nurture and care for another human being. In the last chapters of the book Ma and Rose of Sharon emerge as the family stronghold and suggest that as long as they keep moving forward, doing what is necessary, and not dwelling on the direness of the situation the family will survive.
I think I might have mentioned this in my comment on another post, but it almost seems as if they were acquiring a new family here--a new father and a new son, but now entirely dependent on them. Steinbeck is making a complicated argument here about family as kin vs. family as a larger group of people helping each other, an argument for which some of the interchapters have already prepared us.
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