Many Americans affected by the Dust Bowl found themselves in almost identical situations to the Joad family. The Grapes of Wrath is an extremely identifiable to many Okies and other Dust Bowl migrants. Lost their farm to the government and forced to leave everything they knew behind. They packed up in jalopies with extended family, headed west in search of jobs and opportunities. What they found was a lot of dead ends and hopelessness. Many American families found themselves in this situation and situations similar.
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In The Grapes of Wrath father Joad is overshadowed by his son Tom, and the father and the uncle don’t make much a contribution to the family. Though the main focus is of course on Tom Joad the relationship between Tom and Ma Joad is a pivotal for the family. Adult men are supposed to be the breadwinners and they are supposed to provide and keep the family together, but the adult men in this movie do not hold the family together in this story. The despondency of the father and uncle force Ma Joad into higher role within the family. The mother is the one that takes up the responsibility of being the glue for the family. Ma and Tom are very dependent on each other. The survival of the family is in their hands.
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