Broken Stereotypes in The Grapes of Wrath
Masculinity and femininity are not restricted to two separate and distinct groups. In reality, they are different within themselves, and similar to each other. It is a well-known stereotype that men are tough and strong with no emotions, while women are weak and need to be supported.
The characters in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath are examples of the typical masculine and feminine groups. However, the book also contains models of those who do not fit the stereotypes. In general, the book contains two types of portrayals of both men and women.
Pa is an example of the more common must-support-the-family man. On the contrary, Casy, another male character, is a soft-spoken, thoughtful man. Though they are mother and daughter, Ma and Rose of Sharon are two examples of very different femininity. Ma is a hardworking, family focused woman while Rose of Sharon is a young naïve character who needs to be taken care of.
In The Grapes of Wrath, Pa is the main male character and plays a leadership role of the family. After Grampa's death, it is clearly stated that Pa is the family leader. "Pa was the head of the family now" (151). Steinbeck purposefully puts Grampa, then Pa in the position of head of the family because the eldest male is most commonly the leader. This is a typical example of a patriarchy. Pa carries this role until they reach California and begin looking for work. Pa is ashamed that he cannot work to support his family and fulfill his position as leader.
Pa demanded, 'Well what the hell am I gonna do? We're outa money. One of my boys got a short job, but that won't feed us. I'm a-gonna go an' take twenty cents. I got to' (374).
It frustrates Pa that he is helpless when it comes to work. Although he is more than willing to work hard for money, Pa is unable to find a job to feed his family.
Ma takes on two roles in the course of the book. Pa begins despairing because of his lack of work, so Ma takes over his role as leader. This shows the masculinity in Ma's character coming out. At the same time, Pa's ability to allow Ma to receive his role is an example of his femininity. The first decision Ma makes that puts her in Pa's place is when she orders the family to leave the government camp. Pa reacts to this, but not in an expected, angry manner.
'Seems like times is changed,' [Pa] said sarcastically. 'Time was when a man said what we'd do. Seems like women is tellin' now. Seems like it's purty near time to get out a stick' (388).
His reaction is more humorous or "sarcastic" than it is mad. Ma continues in Pa's original position as head of the family for the remainder of the book.
Ma's second role is as an emotional support. This is her stereotypical feminine role. Ma keeps her emotions inside in order to protect the rest of the family. When Tom comes home is the only time that Ma shows emotion.
...when a joyful thing happened, they looked to see whether joy was on her, it was her habit to build of laughter out of inadequate materials. But better than joy was calm (80).
Ma's calmness is another typical feminine trait, which helps keep her family happy. The family looks to Ma to find their own emotions, so Ma never expresses worry or sadness because that is not how she wants her family to feel.
The opposite masculine character from Pa is Casy. He is on his own, with no family, which may be the reason that he is so opposite from Pa. Casy has no reason to be hardworking; he only has to feed himself. After he stopped preaching, Casy had a lot of time to himself to think about things.
'Nighttime I'd lay on my back an' look at the stars; morning I'd set an' watch the sun come up; midday I'd look out from a hill at the rollin' dry country; evenin' I'd foller the sun down....An' I got a thinkin', it was deeper down than thinkin'' (88).
Once Tom and Casy met up again, Casy started talking about things he was thinking and feeling. This clearly shows Casy's femininity because the stereotype is that men have no emotions. Not only does Casy have feelings, he talks to other people about them.
Rose of Sharon is the example of a stereotypical woman. She is the complete opposite of Ma. Rose of Sharon is a weak, dependant female character. She thinks that she needs someone to keep her safe and is always worried about her baby. She is uneducated to the point where she thinks a bumpy car ride will damage her fetus. "She tried to arch her whole body as a rigid container to preserve her fetus from shock" (179). Rose of Sharon is completely absorbed in her baby as well as her husband. She acts as if she would not be able to live without him. "I want Connie. I ain't a-goin' till he comes back" (306). Rose of Sharon's stubbornness and dependency on Connie is an illustration of her stereotypical feminine traits. She is weak and needs to be supported by somebody.
The diversity of these four characters in Steinbeck's novel shows that there are no set boundaries for masculinity and femininity. There is room for difference within the two groups. Masculinity and femininity exist in both males and females. Circumstance can bring out the femininity in a man and masculinity in a woman. Partner sites: Study Spanish in Spain, Pug, and Free Argumentative and Persuasive Essays