Father Joad is also one of the main characters in the story. Throughout the story the reader experiences how he transforms as a character. He starts out as the head of the family. He is in charge of making all the decisions for his family. The males in the family have a say, but (Steinbeck 100-101) as of now Father Joad makes the ultimate decisions. The reader realizes that he is not the smartest person and that is why he begins looking toward Al and Tom for answers and opinions. As he becomes less vulnerable, that is when the women actually start to speak up. As the story develops he finds out that it is okay to share some of the responsibility and decision making with his wife and sons. He learns that a second opinion is needed since he does not know everything. He starts to relax a bit as the story progresses. Father Joad is one of the characters that not many people can relate to personally, but they can relate to his progression in the story. Father Joad is a hard worker. He shows (Steinbeck 410) how he wants to provide enough money for his family and so he works hard to earn it. Throughout the journey is really when Pa Joad begins to break down. The reader can tell he is breaking down because everyone else becomes more risky, especially Ma Joad (Steinbeck 351) because she starts to ask for more money and she also decides that the family is going to keep moving when work is sparse. Pa at the end of the story feels a sense of defeat because he is supposed to protect and provide for his family, but in reality he is doing neither, and therefore Ma Joad and the rest of the family overshadow him. Some struggles they face, like the flooding of their camp, shows how Pa Joad gradually tears down his character. Overall, Pa is starts out as a strong character, but as the story graduates he becomes less and less important.
Bibliographic Citation: Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. Los Gatos, California. Viking Press. 1939
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