Theme Of Perseverance In The Grapes Of Wrath

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The Grapes of Wrath Essay Ma’s Perseverance as a Key to Survival By Kate Mineeva "In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins- not through strength but by perseverance." H. Jackson Brown When struggling for survival, perseverance is the key to lifting yourself up in the face of difficulties. In his novel The Grapes of Wrath, the writer John Steinbeck presents Ma as a central, authoritative heroine, whose position as the matriarch of the family lets her to take over control and display perseverance in her actions to lead her family through the difficult times. During the course of the novel, Ma is determined to maintain wholeness of her family and create strong bonds within; her humane traits and strong…show more content…
During the novel, Pa starts to falter and hesitate under the pressure of all the misfortunes and Ma becomes increasingly influential in the decision-making process and acts with authority. As a leader, she guides her team with a firm, but loving hand; she maintains positive outlook and encourages others to do so as well and don’t give up. For example, when jobs become scarce at Weedpatch camp and the family are nearing the end of their funds, Ma forces the topic of moving from Weedpatch to another place, where all the men would find a job. Ma is an optimistic figure; she keeps the family going, uplifts and cheers them when they faces another downfall. To reassure her family, she would say "besides, us folks takes a pride in holdin' in. My pa used to say, 'anybody can break down, it takes a man not to.'" She insists the family to move forwards despite the obstacles, discrimination and abuses they encountered. “Okie” – is the offensive name Oklahoma people are given; it enrages and insults Joads. Yet, Ma encourages everybody to keep their heads high and ignore such offences. Most members of the family openly express their doubts or fears. Ma may be just as frightened as the rest of the family, but she always maintains a front for the rest of the family. When Ma have fears, "She had practiced denying them in herself." Thus, it is evident that Ma’s ability to act decisively, and to act for the family’s good, enables her to lead Joads when Pa begins to give

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