The Theme of Family in Grapes of Wrath Essay

Grapes of Wrath

In the story, Grapes of Wrath, the theme of family is very important to the plot. Throughout the story, their family and each other is all they have most of the time, and the always look out for each other. Even when Tom comes back from prison, and no one has seen him for quite some time, they still welcome him home with open arms. The Joad family is oddly formal, and may seem slightly cold or not affectionate at a glance, but as the story unfolds you can see clearly that they care for each other, and always look out for one another.

On the journey to California, the Joad family has to put up with some inhumane treatment. Many people out West look at them as something you might have stepped in, like a piece of gum on the bottom of your shoe. Referring to the Joads as Oakies, characters such as the waitress, the gas attendants, and especially the police officers, all share the same indifference towards them. They dont care about the Joads, or any other Oakies for that matter, as people at all. However, despite this, the Joad family soldiers on, and is always there to back each other up in almost any situation, such as the time when Tom and the Preacher (who can be considered a part of the family, seeing as he is going through the same plight) knock out the police officer after he shoots a woman and starts chasing another Oakie. Or when Ma Joad gives whats left of the soup she made to the hungry children of the camp.

In a way, this shows that all Oakies are grouped together in some way; almost like one large family. They all are going through the same trouble, and small instances throughout the story demonstrate how they have each others back. Scenes like the riot-prevention at the good camp, when the man in the run down camp told everyone not to trust the cop and the so called employer, and finally when the preacher goes to jail for Tom.

Not all the Joads make it to California, and this fact is what shows clearly that the Joads care about each other. In grief, many people can become resentful, blaming, and vent their bad emotions at people who did nothing wrong. In the wake of both Grandpa and Grandma Joads death, and the sudden disappearance of Connie Rivers, the Joads stick by one another, and never start to point the finger at one another, or become resentful. It seems like they look out for each other even more after that point, knowing full well the cost it took the family as a whole to try and make it in California.