Ma Joad as Leader in The Grapes of Wrath :: Grapes Wrath essays

In a crisis, a persons true colors emerge. The weak are uninvolvedfrom the strong and the leaders are separated from the followers. In JohnSteinbecks novel The Grapes of Wrath, the Joad family, forced from theirhome in Oklahoma, stage to California in search of naturalise and prosperity onlyto find poverty and despair. As a result of a crisis, Ma Joad emerges as acontrolled, forceful, and selfless authority figure for the family. Ma Joad exhibits exelent self-control during the sufferings andfrustrations of the Joads journey. Ma knows that she is the backbone ofthe family, and that they will survive only if she remains calm. Ma keepsher self-control when Ruthie tells some children about Toms secret. Thefamily becomes nervous and enraged over the situation, notwithstanding Ma restoresorder by handling the situation in a calm and collected manner. If Ma wereto ever show fear, the family would most likely collapse. For, old Tomand the children could not know hurt or fear unless she acknowledged hurtor fear. Thus, if Ma acts as if everything is all right, then the familywill drive everything is all right. Most members of the family openlyexpress their doubts or fears. Ma may be just as frightened as the rest ofthe family, but she constantly maintains a front for the rest of the family.When Ma had fears, She had practiced denying them in herself. Thisextraordinary self-control helps to keep the Joad unit together and alive. Ma, like all leaders, must be forceful for things to work in herfavor. Numerous situations occur in which Ma must be forceful orrelinquish her role as the head of the family. Her forceful leadershipoccurs once when the family, without Mas consent, agrees to leave Tom andCasey behind to fix the Wilsons car. Ma feels this will break up thefamily and uses a jack handle to promote her point. It is at this point Mareplaces Pa as the official head of the family. Mas forceful leadershipalso surfaces when she threa tens a police officer with a fry pan andwhen she decides for the family to leave the government camp. In bothsituations Ma must use force to achieve her objectives in both situations,she emerges victorious. Eventually, Pa becomes angered because of his spillageof power to a woman and says in frustration, Seems like times is changed.