Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Chapter 16
In this chapter you find that every character is changing some for better and some for worst. Along with the personality change you also find their motives beginning to change. For example, it seems that Ma Joad is becoming stir crazy and defiant against her husband. However, this is misinterpreted for her intention on keeping the family together. Ma Joad has always been the one to keep the family together emotionally and not she's doing it physically. Unlike Ma, Granma seemed have changed for the worst ever since her husband had died. Although that is to be expected with loss, one can conclude that Granma is no longer herself. Rose of Sharon and Connie motives are very different from Ma Joad's, being that they want to break away from the family and start their own life. Connie explains that he can start studying and make a living by owning his own store. Upon hearing this Al finds that he too can do that as well. Although the others are looking farther into the future, Tom, Pa, and Casey's motives focus more of the simple, immediate goals. Such as getting the family to California and initially supporting the family by getting jobs. Even though everyone seems to have different motives, I think I agree with Ma Joad of the fact that the family is better off sticking together.
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Yes, the family together is better due to possibility of starting new jobs which helps them work together and open up a new house and or business in which the whole family is able to live and work but once again as whole which would soothe Ma Joad.
ReplyDeleteBoth Ali and Sayanne have a point, but don't you think that the more mouths to feed and the more people having to take care of has some type of disadvantage for the Joad's? Ma Joad just wants to have the family together through this depression they are suffering, but it seems to me that the less people they have, the better off they are. Although I agree with both of you entirely, I can't help but think that the Joad's are better off with less family members.
ReplyDeleteI think you're missing the fact that the family is the only thing keeping the characters motivated. If everyone broke off and lost all connection to the family doesn't it stand to reason they will end up just like grandma Joad? When you're alone it's easier to fail and give up, because you're only letting yourself down, not eight other people. And even if they all did make it to California what would be the point? The whole reason they began this journey was to have a better life for the family. What would be the point of making it to California alone? To just stay alive? In a time where you lost everything, the only thing you can really find pleasure in is your friends and family. Without the family they're just going through the motions of living, not enjoying it.
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