The theme of family is also important in the novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. It is crucial for the families in the novel to stick together, because they are each other's hope, inspiration, and reason for working so hard. Since family is such a big element of the novel, there are several quotes that go along with it:
"She walked for the family and held her head straight for the family." -Chapter Thirteen
Ma Joad is an very strong character, and she is the rock and stability for the Joad family. Their is not a doubt that she is the stone pillar of the family. The reader cannot help but question how far the Joad's would have made it in their new life if Ma Joad had not been there to lead them and keep them strong and hopeful, even when things were at their worst. She supports her family in a way that no one else can.
"And then all of a sudden, the family began to function." -Chapter Ten
At some times, the Joad family seems to be able to communicate to each other without the use of the words. It seems like they sometimes just know what the other's need, and they work together to see things through. Sadly, as things got worse for the family, they were able to anticipate each other's needs less and less, and this caused them to have problems and grow apart in some ways. They are no longer as tuned in to each other, and as a result of this their family changes even further.
"The families moved westward, and the technique of buildings their worlds improved so that people could be safe in their worlds; and the form was so fixed that a family acting in the rules knew it was safe in the rules." -Chapter Seventeen
Although the country has allowed for these peoples homes and lands to be taken from them, the country has done little to help these people rebuild the shambles of their lives. Because of this, it is almost like these effected people are as in their own country, sticking to their own rules of survival. Despite their communities, the families have no true structure.
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