Grapes of Wrath

In my opinion, there was no specific "hero" in the story of Grapes of Wrath. I feel like it was set up differently; there were different heroes at different times. The term "hero," in this case, is not talking about one individual throughout the entire plot who saves the day or finds a solution to the conflict. To me, someone can be a hero by doing simpler things. For instance, the truck driver in the beginning if the novel can be considered a hero. Without him, Tom Joad would never have made it home in such short time. He would have been there too late, and his family would have gone west without him. The truck driver broke a few rules to do a nice deed because he knew it was the right thing to do. Tom ended up helping out his family in huge ways. If the truck driver had denied him the ride, he never would have been able to help his family on the trip to California. Tom Joad was a hero at times too. He had experience repairing and putting together cars from prison, which was a skill only his younger brother had. It is much more reassuring to a big family when there are two skilled mechanics, rather than one sixteen year old boy. Besides his mother, Tom is kind of the rock of the family. He was a tough, hard working young man who served as a protector for his family. But if I did have to choose one hero for this book, it would definitely be Tom's mother. Ma is the center of the whole family, and seems to know everything. Don't all mothers? She cared for all of the sick, did her best cooking for them, and made sure everything was in order. She is powerful, yet kind and understanding. Her husband mentions that the women are taking control; Ma made all of the decisions when times were at their worst. Her cool head helped her understand everyones needs, and she was the only one who did not break under the pressure of the harsh times.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006.