The novel ends with an epic flood, almost Biblical in proportion, that forces Ma and Pa -- with Rose of Sharon, Ruthie and Winfield in tow -- to find higher ground. In part they are spurred on to aid Rose of Sharon's health as she has just lost her baby and is still feeling unwell, both physically and emotionally. They seek shelter in a barn, only to encounter a boy and his father, who is dying of hunger and can no longer digest solid food. The novel ends when Rose of Sharon
loosened one side of the blanket and bared her breast. "You got to," she said. "there." Her hand moved behind his head and supported it. Her fingers moved gently in his hair. She looked up and across hte barn, and her lips came together and smiled mysteriously (455).
What is the significance of this gesture and the image this scene is describing?
At the very end of The Grapes of Wrath, Rose of Sharon makes the choice to save another life by feeding the starving man in the barn. This choice is impactful because it shows her journey and willingness to give back to others. Even after she was left by Connie and told that she and her baby would burn by the woman at the dance, she still was prepared to help others. In some sense it could be considered saving a life that she couldn’t previously, given that her baby was still born and she was unable to save it herself. Yet when they are trying to escape a flood that flooded their living space, as well as hurting the community around them, the family was still willing to give back. Ma and Rose of Sharon made that decision together. In some sense, it is opposed to Ma’s view of family first. After all, she offered to help a dying man and a boy she barely spoke a few sentences to. I think it’s powerful when, “She looked at Rose of Sharon huddled in the comfort. Ma’s eyes passed Rose of Sharon’s eyes, then came back to them. And the two women looked deep into each other. The girl’s breath came in short and gasping. She said “Yes.”” (Steinbeck 454). There have been several occasions where the Joads use their eyes to talk instead of their mouths, conveying powerful emotions without words. In this case, this was one of the most powerful ones. Making the conscious decision to save this stranger’s life.
ReplyDeleteWithin the last chapter of Grapes of Wrath, the selflessness of Rose of Sharon represents the last hope of the traveling family. After Rose of Sharon gives birth to her stillborn baby, she is recovering from the pregnancy. They encounter a dying man, who Rose of Sharon offers her breast milk to. Motherhood and the care of a mother is an underlying theme within the story (represented via Ma as well as Rose of Sharon at the end), and the fact that Rose of Sharon), and the fact that Rose of Sharon was willing to share something so personal to her, in such a vulnerable state after her baby was born still, when the man tells her he is “Starvin,” (Steinbeck 454) to which Ma offers to help by saying “You jus’ be easy. He’ll be awright. You jus’ wait’ll I get the wet clo’es off’n my girl” (Steinbeck 454). This shows that Ma also stood by Rose of Sharon, as the two mothers assist the dying man. This is an extremely monumental moment, because even though the whole family is struggling and malnourished themselves, they still are willing to hold out for a complete stranger. Not only that, the sacrifice Rose of Sharon makes is personal and intimate to her. Ma covers her as she breastfeeds the man, which shows the respect Ma has for another mother. In all, the overarching theme that the family must support each other and allow selflessness in their life allows for more experience and unity.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the book, Rose of Sharon lives her dream of being a nourishing mother. Threw the whole book, Rose of Sharon is pregnant and waiting to give birth to a baby. She continuously talks with Connie about how she wants to have a loving, caring household with Rose of Sharon, her baby, and Connie. After Connie leaves, the only part left in her dream is her baby. She was devastated that one part of the family and her dream had already run away, making her dreams less possile. She is on her own, only with her family, who doesn't have enough money for food or milk to nourish her baby. During a big storm, she is finally ready to give birth to her child. until the baby was born still. The baby was not alive, leaving Rose of Sharon with every part of her dream gone. Then she went into a barn with an old man who was starving on the verge of death. She wants to breastfeed him so he can stay alive. While breastfeeding, she says, “‘There’ Her hand moved behind his head and supported it. Her fingers moved gently in his hair. She looked up and across the barn, and her lips came together and smiled”(455). She finally was able to make her dream a reality by nursing a life. She was living part of her dream by nursing a person back to good health. She was not able to save her baby but was able to save another life. In the end of the story, during a lot of darkness and sorrow, she finally smiled.
ReplyDeleteIn the Novel Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, Rose of Sharon’s act of giving the old dying man her breast milk symbolizes the importance of kindness to strangers even in the worst of times. After the Joads leave the boxcar camp seeking shelter from the flood, they encounter a dying man and his son. The old man is severely malnourished and is desperate for food. The man's son was desperately asking for milk or soup to give to his dad. When Rose of Sharon and Ma realize the perilousness of the situation, “the two women looked deep into each other. The girl’s breath came short and gasping. She said ‘Yes’”(Steinbeck 454). When Rose of Sharon says “yes”, she is agreeing to give her breast milk to the man. The Joads have just lost all of their things in the flood, and have almost nothing to give. Yet, Rose of Sharon gives the one thing she does have to save a man who she has never met. Rose of Sharon recently had a stillbirth, and there was nothing she could do to save her baby. However, she does have the power to nourish this dying man with the same thing that would’ve nourished her own child. The selflessness of this act in a time when everyone is suffering demonstrates the value of community that the migrants have. Rose of Sharon understands how crucial it is to help other people who are struggling, because together they can pick each other up.
ReplyDeleteIn the final scene of Grapes of Wrath, Rose Of Sharon’s selfless act of feeding a starving man highlights the book's theme of kindness during a time of suffering. Throughout the book, Rose Of Sharon is waiting to have her child and longing for the motherhood and experience she will have raising her child in California. After losing her child, she barely has time to grieve and process the loss before quickly moving on from grieving to giving. This final scene symbolizes the importance of kindness to strangers, no matter what circumstances you are in. Additionally, this demonstrates how people rely on each other to survive, especially in times of hardship. Her actions reflect her motherly traits, even if they aren't being executed on her own child. Even though she has suffered and faced a personal loss, she is still able to give back in a different way. In Ma’s moment of unspoken question to Rose Of Sharon, Rose Of Sharon responds with a simple ‘Yes’, despite not knowing the man. This act of kindness demonstrates that during the hardest times when you are struggling, you do whatever you can to help each other. Despite the Joad family losing almost everything on the Journey, even many of their family members, and having almost nothing to give, Rose Of Sharon gives the one thing she has, her breastmilk. She wasn't able to save her child, but instead, she used the resources that the situation gave her to save a stranger. Overall, Rose Of Sharon’s action represents a theme that is shown throughout the whole book, that even after loss, life continues. This is shown through the whole story, even after all the challenges the Joads face, they keep moving.
ReplyDeleteIn the end of The Grapes of Wrath, Rose of Sharon’s action of giving her breast milk to a starving man shows sympathy in times of hardship. The Joads journey from California to Oklahoma has not been easy for any of them. They have lost family members along the way and struggled to earn money to afford food. Rose of Sharon has been pregnant through the whole journey, but when she has her baby, it is a stillborn. Rose of Sharon grieves the loss of her child but still must continue with her journey and be there for her family. The Joad family runs into a dying man with his son. The dying man had not eaten in six days and was desperate for food. Rose of Sharon, who was still recovering from her pregnancy, offered the man her breast milk. The man drank her breast milk. One of the last scenes of the book describes the interaction. “Her hand moved behind his head and supported it. Her fingers moved gently in his hair. She looked up and across the barn, and her lips came together and smiled mysteriously.”(page 455). This interaction shows how even though Rose of Sharon and the Joad family does not have much themselves, they are willing to offer all they have to help others. Rose of Sharon shows this by offering her own breast milk from her body. Rose of Sharon takes care of this dying man like she would have to her own child. Even though Rose of Sharon is going through a hard time, she still is willing to help others and do whatever she can to support everyone.
ReplyDeleteRose of Sharon's journey in "The Grapes of Wrath" is a powerful one, in which there is the transformation from a scared pregnant woman to a person who represents hope and selflessness for the coming future. When the story begins, she pictures and dreams of a fulfilling life with her husband Connie, and unborn child. As the book unfolds, Rose of Sharon’s world is shattered when Connie leaves, and eventually, she has a stillborn child. The Joads end up on a farm after the flooding, and they come across a dying man. With the hope of saving the man’s life, Rose of Sharon breastfeeds the man, “‘There’ Her hand moved behind his head and supported it. Her fingers moved gently in his hair. She looked up and across the barn, and her lips came together and smiled”(455). Despite these devastating losses, Rose of Sharon finds a new purpose in life. She uses her breast milk to nurse a starving man back to health, symbolizing her growth into a nurturing figure and a selfless person. Doing this not only fulfills her dream of being a caring mother but also represents hope and unselfishness even while in the face of hardship, which the Joads show throughout their entire journey to California. When she smiles while nursing the man, Rose of Sharon embodies a person who has found a different meaning in life. As a reader, you can get the sense that she is beginning to find her purpose, especially after such traumatic experiences.
ReplyDeleteIn the end of the book The Grapes of Wrath, Rosa Sharn feeds a stranger her breast milk. She did this as an act of altruistism. The Joad family, who were searching for shelter away from the flood, found space in a barn. In the corner of the barn they saw two shadows of men. One was very weak and older than the other. It was a son and father. The older man was in need, he was starving and hadn’t eaten in 6 days. The man's son had explained his suffering to the Joads, “He’s dyin’, I tell you! He’s starvin’ to death, I tell you”. Without hesitation Rosa Sharn chose to help. Although Rosa Sharn and the whole Joad family have endured endless suffering they are still kind and giving to others. Rosa Sharn was especially in mourning as her child was stillborn. This moment, where she fed the man, represented her selflessness and her care for her community rather than her own self. She could have stayed mourning in her sorrows but instead chose to take away others sadness. John Steinbeck may have chosen to put this at the end of the book since it represented what the Joad family was all about. The whole Journey to California, they had helped others and others had helped them. Such as the one eyed man, the man who gave Ma sugar, and even those at Weedpatch. This final moment represents the main idea of the book; survival can happen but only when people help each other.
ReplyDeleteThe ending scene in The Grapes of Wrath displays the motherlike care that Rose of Sharon would have had towards her baby if it had survived, and is a testament to the struggles that migrants had to face. Rose of Sharon provides her body as the means of survival for the dying man, and the scene alludes to the similarities between her care for the man and how she would have cared for her baby. Steinbeck describes her caretaking abilities by saying, “Her hand moved behind his head and supported it. Her fingers moved gently in his hair. She looked up and across the barn, and her lips came together and smiled mysteriously” (Steinbeck 455). She treats the man with the kindness and motherlike traits that one would expect of an experienced mother, though Rose of Sharon doesn’t have any. Steinbeck also implies she understood the connection between the two by depicting Rosasharn having a knowing smile, referencing that she could see the mother in her at the moment. The ending scene also goes deeper than just Rose of Sharon’s gentle care, but also is a very emotional description of what migrants had to go through at the time. It is the ultimate loss of dignity, as the man’s only option to survive is to drink the breast milk from Rose of Sharon, a girl he has never met nor seen before. Steinbeck writes, “She moved slowly to the corner and stood looking down at the wasted face, into the wide, frightened eyes. Then slowly she lay down beside him. He shook his head slowly from side to side. Rose of Sharon loosened one side of the blanket and bared her breast. ‘You got to,’ she said. She squirmed closer and pulled his head close” (Steinbeck 455). At first the man is reluctant, but he is quickly convinced by Rosasharn and his hunger, and subsides to it. The scene highlights the sacrifices that the migrants had to make in order to survive, albeit the example is less common than most, but nonetheless embodies the hardships of the migrants to the fullest extent. Steinbeck’s ending scene uses the man as a living embodiment of Rose of Sharon’s baby and illustrates the extreme difficulties that migrants faced, and reminds readers that not all endings need to be happy to be insightful.
ReplyDeleteThe ending of the novel The Grapes of Wrath underscores the resilience of the migrants and the importance of being generous to others, including complete strangers, even when suffering their own misfortunes, through the powerful scene of Rosasharn breastfeeding the starving old man despite the fresh loss of her own child. Throughout the entire story, Rosasharn is filled with hope of a better life in California, believing that in her future is a new home and family with Connie. However, when Connie abandons her, she is faced with the harsh reality that her dream is not obtainable. After months of waiting for something better, all she has left is loss. The loss of her husband, her home, and now her child. Yet, rather than breaking down or reacting with grief, she remains silent for the rest of the ending. Her only words were spoken with her mother through a glance before making the decision to feed the old man. This moment reflects Ma’s idea that the poorest people, despite having so little, are often the ones who give everything they have to help others. While Rosasharn could not save her baby, she could save a stranger’s life, and chose to do so with the only thing she had. The characters are always transitioning from dealing with their individual despair to uniting and working together to survive. Similarly, Uncle John, burdened by past guilt, is forced to confront death once again as he sends the stillborn baby down the river in the apple box. As he sets the box down he tells the baby “‘Go down an’ tell ‘em. Go down the street an’ rot an’ tell ‘em that way. That’s the way you can talk. Don’t even know if you was a boy or a girl. Ain’t gonna find out. Go on down now, an’ lay in the street. Maybe they’ll know then” (page 448). This moment is used to symbolize a silent message about the migrants’ suffering being sent out to others down the river. This moment mirrors the reality of the Joads and other migrant workers—they all endure terrible losses but still choose to give and move forward. The novel’s ending does not offer much closure but instead emphasizes that survival in hardship comes from a willingness to care for others, even in the darkest of times.
ReplyDeleteRose of Sharon nursing the sick man to health at the end of the story is a symbol of her caring nature being put to use. Throughout the story, Rose of Sharon is worried about whether or not her baby will be okay. She tries to do everything she can to ensure the baby will have a good life, from planning a modern lifestyle for her family with her husband to listening to self-proclaimed wise ladies about what influences whether a baby is born good or not.
ReplyDeleteWhen Rose of Sharon is at the Weedpatch camp, she hears from another woman about what happens to pregnant women who “dance and hug.” The woman shares a story, saying, “‘I seen it. Girl a-carryin’ a little one, jes’ like you. An’ she play-acted, an’ she hug-danced…she thinned out and she skinnied out, an’—she dropped that baby, dead’” (Page 310). This rant instills fear in Rose of Sharon and creates anxiety within her. After hearing this, she spends the rest of her pregnancy worrying about every little thing that could affect her baby’s health. All of this stems from her deep desire to care for her child in the best way possible.
In the final pages of the book, Rose of Sharon, unfortunately, gives birth to a stillborn baby—so underdeveloped that it is impossible to determine its gender. After her worst fear comes true, she is left in a shocked state, continuing life on the road but speaking very little. I think the reason she is so out of it is that she had been focused on her baby for months, and now she feels that her purpose—to care for her child—is gone.
Still dazed and in shock from her stillbirth, Rose of Sharon finds herself in a barn with a very sick man who is on the verge of death, desperately needing some form of easy-to-process nutrition. In this moment, Ma looks to her, and it is almost as if Rose of Sharon instinctively knows what she must do—so she gives the sick man her gift of milk. I think that, even though it is a gruesome parallel, being able to nurse someone back to health gives her the sense of caregiving she has been yearning for. She is even described as having “smiled mysteriously” (Page 455).
Although this is how the story ends, I think that no matter what the outcome is for this man, Rose of Sharon will find happiness in the care she is able to provide. This moment is one of the few times she shows happy emotions during their quest for opportunity, and I think it is written this way on purpose—because a deep root of her character is the desire to be a caring mother figure. Although she is unable to care for her child as she dreamed, this scene symbolizes that she will extend her nurturing nature to others. This is demonstrated through her helping “a person in need.” The theme of answering a call for help is common throughout the book, and I think it is one of the novel’s most significant morals.
In the final scene of The Grapes of Wrath, Rose of Sharon breastfeeds a starving man. This is a powerful symbol of selflessness and the resilience of humanity when faced with suffering. This final act shows a transformation in her character; from self-absorption to generosity and compassion. Throughout the novel, Rose of Sharon was depicted as someone who mostly only cared for her own future, specifically starting a family with her husband and living a happy, stable life in California. However, after immense hardships, including her husband abandoning her and the loss of her baby as a stillborn, she shows resilience as she emerges full of empathy and compassion. By offering nourishment to a complete stranger, she embodies the novel’s theme, that in times of desperation unity and collective support are the lifeline to survive. The Joad family’s struggles throughout the whole novel highlight the importance of unity, and this final moment serves as the culmination of that message. Rose of Sharon showed that even in the face of despair, human kindness shines through. Ending the novel with this message helps Steinbeck to show that hope can emerge from loss. Even though the novel did not end with a “happy ending” there was still an overall message of hope. Rose of Sharon may have lost sight of her purpose, but her moment of compassion helped her to find purpose in helping other people. She found meaning beyond her personal suffering and exemplified that humanity’s greatest strength lies in their ability to endure and come together in unity.
ReplyDeleteThe ending of The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, when Rose of Sharon gives the starving man her milk to help him survive, it symbolizes how it’s human nature for people to find ways to help others in times of need even when they don't have much to give. Rosasharn is going through one of the toughest times in her life with her bad health condition and just recently going through labor just to have a stillborn child. Even so, she gives her breast milk to the man, solely out of her generosity. Neither the man nor the child asked her to do this yet she did it out of her heart. She knew that there was a way she could help so she did it, and was happy to do it highlighting that it is human nature for people to want to help others. The people are very poor yet they still find ways to help each other and Rosasharn’s gift is a prime example of this. Similarly, earlier in the story when Ma goes to the store the man at the store is very poor, yet he still gives her additional free food out of the kindness of his heart. She then states, “If you're in trouble, or hurt or need - go to the poor people. They're the only ones that'll help - the only ones.” The man knew that she was in need of help so he did all that he could with the little he had to give aid to her. In the same way, Rosasharn does this by giving the little she has for the man because she knows he is in need of help. It is in her human nature for her to want to help him and it is implied that the little she has goes a long way.
ReplyDeleteIn the final scene of The Grapes of Wrath, Rose of Sharon breastfeeds a starving man. This is a powerful symbol of selflessness and the resilience of humanity when faced with suffering. This final act shows a transformation in her character; from self-absorption to generosity and compassion. Throughout the novel, Rose of Sharon was depicted as someone who mostly only cared for her own future, specifically starting a family with her husband and living a happy, stable life in California. However, after immense hardships, including her husband abandoning her and the loss of her baby as a stillborn, she shows resilience as she emerges full of empathy and compassion. By offering nourishment to a complete stranger, she embodies the novel’s theme, that in times of desperation unity and collective support are the lifeline to survive. The Joad family’s struggles throughout the whole novel highlight the importance of unity, and this final moment serves as the culmination of that message. Rose of Sharon showed that even in the face of despair, human kindness shines through. Ending the novel with this message helps Steinbeck to show that hope can emerge from loss. Even though the novel did not end with a “happy ending” there was still an overall message of hope. Rose of Sharon may have lost sight of her purpose, but her moment of compassion helped her to find purpose in helping other people. She found meaning beyond her personal suffering and exemplified that humanity’s greatest strength lies in their ability to endure and come together in unity.
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ReplyDeleteAt the end of the book, Rose of Sharon breastfeeds a starving stranger. This moment occurs after the Joad family, fleeing a flood, takes refuge in a barn. Inside, they encounter a frail, starving man and his son. The son explains that his father has not eaten for six days and is on the brink of death. Despite their own immense suffering and personal losses including Rose of Sharon's grief over her stillborn child she chooses to help the man without hesitation. Her action symbolizes compassion and communal care, transcending her personal sorrow.
ReplyDeleteThis scene shows the central theme of the novel: survival through mutual aid and solidarity. Throughout their journey to California, the Joads consistently assist others and receive help in return, embodying the idea that humanity thrives only when people support one another. Rose of Sharon’s act, in particular, reflects her growth and maturity, as well as her ability to transform personal tragedy into an opportunity to nurture life. John Steinbeck likely placed this moment at the end of the novel to underscore the resilience and generosity of the Joad family, even in the face of relentless hardship. It serves as a poignant reminder that dignity and hope can persist through acts of kindness, even in the most desperate circumstances.