The Portrayal of Women in John Steinbeck's Novel The Grapes of Wrath

Essay by charlotfehoepflUniversity, Bachelor's April 2004

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The Portrayal of Women in John Steinbeck's Novel The Grapes of Wrath

Thesis: The main task of this paper is to examine the Portrayal of Women and their roles in the family in John Steinbeck's Novel The Grapes of Wrath.

Outline:

I. Introduction

II. The Joad women

A. Rose of Sharon

B. Ma

III. Portrayal of the ideal woman

A. Self-sacrifice and endurance

B. Narrative techniques

C. Reversal of leadership roles

IV. Biological determination

A. Ecological cycle

B. Mother earth

C. The final image

V. Conclusion

Notes

Bibliography

Abstract:

In Steinbeck's novel, The Grapes of Wrath, Ma Joad and Rose of Sharon graphically portray the theme of women as self-sacrificing and nurturing mothers in the migrant family during the great depression. Throughout the story Ma is a model of the ideal woman. She is the foundation upon which the rest of the family stands. Her endurance gives her the power rise above adversity and to be the leader that she is.

Ma's endurance is what allows the family to hold up as long as they do. Rose of Sharon, on the other hand, shows the sacrifice the Joads and the rest of the Okies have to endure. The main task of this paper is to examine the role of women in this novel. In the first part, it states the background information of The Grapes of Wrath, the theme of this paper. In the second part, the paper examines the role of women in the novel, which dwells on the characterisation of the Joad women, the development of Rose of Sharson and the ideal female character - Ma Joad,- a hardworking and an enduring mother. And then, in the third part, by examining the self- sacrifice and endurance of the Joad women, looking at a few examples of narrative techniques...