Chapters 1-10- Repetition- Letter [H]

Ma, The Fearless Leader:
"She seemed to know, to accept, to welcome her position, the citadel of the family, the strong place that could not be taken...From her position as a healer, her hands had grown sure and cool and quiet; from her position as arbiter she had become as remote and faultless in judgement as a goddess. She seemed to know that if she swayed the family shook, and if she ever really deeply wavered or dispaired the family would fall, the family will to function would be gone" (Steinbeck 74).
Ma's central role in the Joad family is constantly repeated. Ma Joad is generally described as the glue of the family. She holds everyone together and if she ever were to falter, then the family would fall apart. The repetition is really trying to emphasize the fact that Ma Joad is incredibly strong and cool-headed. She is the solver of conflicts, the protector of her family, and the true leader of the group. Although the Joad family believes that the men should be the leaders(Like Pa Joad and Grampa Joad), this description proves that she is the rightful leader of the family. The constant reminder that Ma is a very strong woman who is able to keep her family together through thick and thin is foreshadowing the mens' eventual failure in leadership. Once the men fail to keep stability, Ma will be able to take over in order to save the family.
Also, Ma's feet are repeated in the book:
"...her strong, bare feet moved quickly and deftly over the floor"(Steinbeck 74).
"...and walked heavily into the bedroom, and her bare feet made no sound on the floor"(Steinbeck 108).
The repetition of Ma's feet continues to support the fact that she is a strong woman. The strong feet, symbolize a strong foundation for her character. Because she has a sturdy basis to work off of, Ma is calm and collected when faced with problems. Her soundless footsteps also demonstrate how much responsibility she can take without breaking down. Because her feet are heavy, it shows the responsibilty of keeping the family together is weighing her down, however because she makes no sound, it shows that she is able to take on that heavy burden and carry on.