Rose of Sharon Grape of Wrath

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character changed drastically from basing her whole day focusing on her own needs to doing anything she can to aid her family in any way. Even being in her peak of pregnancy, she convinved her Ma to allow her to work in the fields. At this point in the book, we Finally, in the last few pages of this novel, Rose of Sharon did such an amazing act that it further outlined and symbolized her character into a biblical figure. After the failed birth to a stillborn baby, Rose was exhausted and did not have much motivation. As The Joad family were moving, they came across a starving man who was on the brink of his death. Rose decided to think beyond the small circle of herself and nourish the man back to health with her breast milk regardless of her humiliation or overall weariness, “Rose of Sharon sat still...she hoisted her tired body up and drew the comfort about her...and bared her breast”(Steinbeck 455). Steinbeck displayed many symbols during this chapter. The action of selflessly giving a part of her to the starving man presented the idea of unity of humanity. Although Rose of Sharon has no child to feed, her potential to nurse a human back to full health shows the idea of hope and kindness. In the biblical perspective, Steinbeck used an analogy of comparing Rose of Sharon to the Virgin Mary.Although Roseasharon acted like a typical self-centered teenager for the majority of The Grapes of Wrath, the changed and mature woman Steinbeck turned her out to be in the end presented the main idea that anyone and everyone is capable of being generous and benevolent to humankind.