So how about the ending of the novel? It was nice and weird, just how I like my story endings to be. But in all seriousness, the ending really was more than a woman feeding a strange man her breast milk (even just typing that feels so weird). Rose of Sharon was a pregnant woman throughout the entire story, and if she would have given birth, a baby is a great symbol for the story. Babies represent new life, a clean slate. That is exactly what the Joads were looking for in California. New babies really bring a family together, and that would have been exactly what the Joads needed. The fact that her baby didn't survive shows how bad the Dust Bowl really was. It left an wave of sadness to wash over the reader, and it summed up the book in a single event.
But that isn't all the ending stood for. Steinbeck could have ended the novel with Rose of Sharon giving birth to a completely healthy baby and they all could have lived happily ever after, but that would have defeated the main purpose of the novel. Even at a time of complete crisis mode, the Joads were able to reach out and help someone in need. They themselves were miserable, just like everyone else, but they were able to find it inside themselves and help someone. The Joads are an inspiration to everyone. Steinbeck could have just ended the book before we found out about the baby's death, but he wanted us to be left with the final image of Rose of Sharon's final selfless act. He really wanted to drive home the whole point of the novel in one final scene. Why did he do it like he did? I sure don't know. You would think he could have done it in a way that was a little less awkward, but his method was effective. Steinbeck left us knowing that the Joads were truly selfless people, and should be admired for all of their acts.
Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.
No comments:
Post a Comment