Grapes of Wrath- 4

I think the hero in this novel is the mother of the Joad family. She had a lot of different characteristics that made her the hero. She accomplished a lot, and she was portrayed in nice ways by the authors. She represents good things.
During the trip, she kept the family together. She was always there to be there for anyone who needed her. She was the rock of the family.
One of her main characteristics was her loving nature. She taught her children many lessons and showed them much love. During the journey, she was always there for them. She always had other people's needs before her own. She was also caring for the same reasons that she was loving.
Another reason that she was caring was that she always helped her husband. When he needed advice or just someone to vent to, she was there. She helped him with his plans.
She helped Tommy and Roseahorn throughout the novel. For example, she helped Tom stay out of jail. She helped Roseahorn by helping her when she was pregnant. She taught her everything she knew about life and gave her advice from her very own experiences.
Towards the end of the novel, she learns to stand up for herself. She is usually right, so she needed to. She stood up to her husband because she knew she was right, and that took effort I am sure. It must have been very hard for her. But everyone listened to what she had to say, so I think she was doing the right thing by standing up for herself.
She represents goodness and strength.
Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006.