Grapes of Wrath- Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon was a very unique and cool character to do an analysis on. I enjoyed her because she was walking proof that good can come from the bad. While on the journey she was pregnant with a child whom she failed to give birth to due to a miscarriage.

Because she was pregnant her whole body had prepared for the baby. Everything inside her had changed expecting to be providing for a baby along with its normal needs. While on the journey they are stopped by a young boy in desperate need of assistance. Due to a flood of one of the camps, the little boy and his old man had climbed up a hill and stayed in a barn in order to stay dry. While waiting for the waters to go away so they could continue work, the boys father gave him all of his food hoping for one of them to survive. Since he had not had solid food for so long and had deteriorated physically he needed immediate liquid diet. Because the family didn't have any money to get any food and they didn't have any soup Ma Joad forced Rose of Sharon to breast feed the old man. From the miscarriage Rose was able to save a different persons life.

I found the fact that Rose did this very ironic. The fact that she had lost her own child was very sad, but I liked how the author used a tragic incident to bring out the good. If she had never become pregnant with the child the father of the young boy would have died leaving him an orphan. I just found it very impacting and awesome how something so simple in writing was able to really bring out Rose's character. Its also the little things that can make or break a book. Its just living proof that you don't always know the overall plan for things in life.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.