Grapes of Wrath- Rose of Sharon

In the book Grapes of Wrath, Rose of Sharon is a very important character. She is the one who gives the family hope and helps them keep their heads held high. Rose of Sharon is Ma and Pa Joad's oldest daughter, and she is married to Connie. When we are introduced to Rose of Sharon, she is expecting a baby and her and Connie both share visions of their life together in California. They picture themselves living happily with their little baby, and that all of the struggles they have gone through will be over. Little did she know, California was not going to be what she expected at all. In the middle of this book, Connie abandons Rose of Sharon and their unborn baby. Without Ma Joad there, Rose of Sharon would have left also. I can only imagine how sad Rose of Sharon was when she found out that Connie had left her. All of the visions she had of having a family suddenly vanished. Although her circumstances are grim, she continues with hope that things will get better. The author uses Rose of Sharon's pregnancy as a symbol in this book to represent a new beginning, but when her baby is stillborn, all of those hopes shattered. I felt so bad for Rose of Sharon because being abandoned by your husband is bad, and losing a baby is bad, and she had both of these things happen to her. I can not even imagine how sad she must be. All of her visions of her little family living the life in California we now nonexistent. Even after everything Rose of Sharon went through, she still provided hope for her family and for a man that she nursed by to health. I think that Rose of Sharon plays a very important role in this book because she not only provides hope for her family, but she also symbolizes a new beginning and a new life.

Bibliography

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print