Matriarchy, Patriarchy, And Community: Moving From "I to We" In Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath
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Authors
Keane, Kiely
Advisor
Kay Satre
Henry Burgess
Annette Moran
Henry Burgess
Annette Moran
Editor
Date of Issue
1996-04-01
Subject Keywords
Publisher
Citation
Series/Report No.
item.page.identifier
Title
Matriarchy, Patriarchy, And Community: Moving From "I to We" In Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath
Other Titles
Type
thesis
Description
Abstract
John Steinbeck’s 1939 novel, The Grapes of Wrath, focuses on the desperate situation of the Joad family and migrant workers after displacement and economic hardship in the wake of the Great Depression. The Grapes of Wrath opens in Oklahoma with the Joads fleeing west from their barren land, in search of jobs and food in California. Moving west, they join a torrent of people who share their situation and are in desperate need of food and shelter. After their arduous trip, the Joads and fellow migrant workers arrive in California where they struggle to find work. When they do find employment, the wages they earn barely provide sustenance. At every turn, the family and workers are exploited and betrayed by a hierarchical social structure—based on private property and patriarchy—that no longer sustains their needs. My intention in this essay is to explore Steinbeck’s critique of this social system and, more specifically, to explore the role of Ma Joad, as she becomes the central vehicle of Steinbeck’s critique.
Sponsors
Degree Awarded
Bachelor's
Semester
Spring
Department
Languages & Literature