Ma Joad

Ma Joad John Steinbeck uses good characterization in The Grapes of Wrath. One in particular, is Ma Joad. She is the backbone of the family whose main goal is to keep her family together and safe. Ma Joad is the backbone character. Vlcek writes, “…Ma’s primary obligation is to take care of her family, to provide them with nourishment, comfort, healing, and support” (82). She is emotionally strong. The family looks to her for emotional …

…calm and out of trouble. Ma does not necessarily want to be the leader of the family. She is just a strong woman who needs to keep her family together (83). Steinbeck creates a strong, central character in this book and does a nice job in describing her. Works Cited Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin Books, 1992. Vlcek, Kelly McGrath. Cliffs Notes Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. California: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc, 2000.