In literature as in life, people often find that they must make difficult choices in order to survive. The reasons behind their decisions and the results of their subsequent actions affect our opinion of them. In the Grapes of Wrath, written by John Steinbeck, the author portrayed situations where two main characters became involved. The nature of their choices, the reasons behind their decisions, and the results that followed affected them greatly. However, the choices that they made were surmounted successfully.
Ma Joad and Tom Joad are two strong characters who overcame laborious predicaments. Their powerful characteristics helped to encourage those that were struggling. In fact, one principal character who was involved in a difficult situation was Ma Joad. She was a wife and mother whose only occupation in life was a housewife. She lived in an unfair time period; women were forced to do almost everything that the man commanded. However, Ma Joad was different. Ever since the family traveled to California, she slowly began to take charge.
This was first seen when Tom, Mas son, suggested that the family continue driving while he and Casy, the preacher, stayed behind to fix the Wilsons (a family the Joads met on their way to California) automobile. Ma Joad was furious with this idea. She brought out a jack handle and said, You done this thout thinkin much. What we got lef in the world? Nothin but us. Nothin but the folksAn now, right off, you wanna bust up the folks (Steinbeck 218). Ma Joad was the power. She had taken control (Steinbeck 218). She did not want the family to separate at such a crucial time.
They needed to stick together no matter what the consequences were. Another example of her leadership was when Ma made a decision without consulting the family. As soon as she heard that there was a job in the north of California, she said, Were a-goinI don care what the pay is. Were a-goin (Steinbeck 451). Her husbands reaction was, Seems like times is changed. Time was when a man said what wed do. Seems like women is tellin now (Steinbeck 453). Ma chose to take command. She wanted to motivate her family in every possible way. She encouraged joy and survival.
She was patient in her unending labors and was determined to reduce fear in her family. By doing this, she and her family were successfully able to overcome their hardships. Consequently, Tom Joad was another main character who was involved in a tough dilemma. He was sent to jail for four years for killing a man. Now that he was paroled, Tom wanted a fresh and new start. Unfortunately, his plan did not seem to work out the way he had wanted. For example, one major occurrence in California affected him greatly. This was the night when Casy led the strikers in their protest against the low fruit picking wages.
The only reason Casy did this was because of all the hungry children. A group of prejudiced neighbors who were against these protestors did not listen to Casys remarks. He tried to tell them that their actions were immoral and cruel. He stated, You fellas don know what youre doin. Youre helpin to starve kids (Steinbeck 495). However, all of a sudden, a man took his club and struck Casys head. He was killed instantly. Tom saw his friend drop to the floor; he was infuriated by the mans action. Due to this, Tom took a mallet and smacked the mans head several times.
He asserted, They killed im. Busted his head. I was standin there. I went nuts. Grabbed the pick handleI–I clubbed a guy (Steinbeck 500). Tom chose to get revenge for his friends murder. He did not care if the police was after him. He was willing to risk his life for the death of his companion. For these reasons, Tom had triumphed over vengeance. As a result, Ma and Tom Joad were very successful in their attempts to overcome their difficulties. The choices that they made changed the course of their lives. Mas attitude and perseverance as a leader gave the family hope and inspiration.
Her behavior as a mother and as a commander proved to me that she was a strong and willful person. Throughout the novel, she emerged as a symbol of love. She became a person who instinctively cared for others. She was also full of insight and intuition. Toms action over revenge allowed me to realize that a powerful bond between comrades can make a person do unbelievable things. Although he was still an outlaw of society at the end of the book, his status changed immensely. Throughout the novel, he experienced reeducation and rebirth.
He became a new man who fought for social amelioration and a better way of life for his people and for all struggling people. Tom learned that a man cannot just look after himself; in the spirit of compassion, he is also obligated to help others. In literature as well as in life always find themselves making difficult choices. However, their decisions and actions can greatly affect the outcome. In The Grapes of Wrath, we learned that the characters also found themselves in tough predicaments. Nevertheless, the nature of their choices helped to make a triumphant result. Ma and Tom made hard decisions and survived.
