The Grapes of Wrath - Question 2

If you ask anyone who lived during the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s, you would not hear much of anything positive, which is the case for the Joads in Grapes of Wrath. The main conflict in the novel occurs when the family has to journey out West in order to find work and a home to live in. Because the family suffers substantially from the drought in Oklahoma, they are unable to grow a successful crop and eventually at a loss to pay their mortgage. The bank ends up repossessing their home, therefore causing the conflict the Joads face of moving to California.

Much was lost in the Joads journey out West. Because the move is so hard on the group, some of the family members end up dying. Jim Casy, Granma Joad, Grampa Joad, and Rose of Sharon’s baby all lose their battle to fight for work and a new life out West. Rose of Sharon feels the effect of loss in a substantial way throughout the novel. She ends up losing her husband because he feels too overwhelmed to become a successful husband and is not ready to be a father yet (Steinbeck 378). To add to that heartbreak, her baby ends up being still born (Steinbeck 604). Although Rose of Sharon suffers greatly in the novel, she unfortunately is not the only one to endure hardship. The family unit as a whole loses their money and pride. To the Joads, it seems as if they are living in a nightmare that will never end.

Regardless of how much adversity the Joads tolerate, in the end they gain so much more than what they lose. From every hardship each family member bears, something wonderful is gained. When Rose of Sharon loses her baby and her husband, she does not let the negative atmosphere bring her down. She gains a mature attitude on life. The trouble she experiences only makes her a strong young lady on her way to gaining the respect of becoming a woman. The family unit may have lost materialistic items and a portion of their pride, but like Rose of Sharon, their experiences only makes them gain something more important in the end. They gain the knowledge that family is everything and to stick together when the going gets rough.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.