"We're Joad's. We don't look up to nobody. Grampa's grampa, he fit in the revolution. We was farm people til' the debt. And then- them people. they don't somepin to us. Ever' time they come seemed like they was a-'whippin me-all of us. An' in Needles, that police. He done somepin to me, made me feel mean. Made me feel ashamed. An' now I ain't ashamed. These folks is our folks- is out folks. An' that manger, he come an' set an' drank coffee, an' he says, 'Mrs. Joad' this, an' Mrs. Joad' that- an' 'how you gettin' on, Mrs. Joad?' " She stopped and sighed. "why, I feel like people again."
- In this quote Ma Joad starts off saying that she has pride in saying that she is a Joad, and everybody else should as well. The Joads don't take anything from anyone, they stand up for themselves. However, that changed ever since they left there farm. While on the road they experienced the corruption of the world and it was starting to change them. How she talked about the officer in Needles, she had to stand up for herself and be harsh so she could defend herself against him. They made the family feel ashamed to be who they were, treated them like they were less than human. Yet that changed once they got to the government camps. The people at camp would treat her all the same, they would treat her equally. For example, as she explained, the manger would address he as Mrs. Joad's instead of an "Okie". That's why she says, "why I feel like people again," she was reminded that she was equal and human.
I think that many people could relate to Ma Joad. Most people have experience some type of discrimintaion or have felt like they were less of a person than others. Therefore, I believe many of the students can relate to that quote specifically.
ReplyDeleteThis also embodys Ma Joads true worth to her family legacy.
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