Motherhood, Matriarchy and Feminism in The Grapes of Wrath

John Steinbeck is one of the most influential and intellectual authors in the history of American literature, due in part to his well-developed and cerebral storylines and characters; along with this important factor, his literature has risen to the point of greatness thanks to the allegorical, metaphorical and symbolic nature of his writing. His works have been pondered and dissected by readers around the globe ever since their first publicity. After undeniable confirmation of this writing phenomenon - a writer whose work reflected his beliefs, views, and inner life through intense symbolism - Steinbeck became a classic author, respected by any truly literate reader. His greatest work, The Grapes of Wrath, has been read and reread by millions, pondered and set down in a thousand essays and books. Inside these writings, certain ideas and opinions have been agreed upon by nearly every fully literate author. But there are some topics within this writing that are still open to interpretation, when considered more carefully. Ma Joad, the inner driving force of the Joad family, has always been considered Steinbeck's foray into the ideals of feminism, of female control, a statement far beyond the standards of the time. But when examined more vigilantly, Steinbeck's work seems to conform to just the opposite standard. Along with society, intolerance and corrupt businessmen, Ma Joad is one of the novel's greater antagonists.

Ma Joad tires of her nurturing role, the status quo in the current matriarchal society, and attempts to rise to a position of power, disregarding her family's safety and well-being in her struggle for potency.

Metaphoric imagery first rises to the reader's attention at our first glimpse of Ma Joad, as she washes dishes, with soapsuds up to her elbows. This relative abundance of water is only a part of Steinbeck's description of the Joad home which shows it to be a virtual paradise. Water, in The Grapes of Wrath, is a symbol used continually by the author to show abundance and privilege, and is used to show Ma Joad's ineffectiveness as a family decision-maker.